Remember Me
by Cybercitizen
Summary: After fourteen years, Anna Baker is returning to Motunui Island, a favourite vacation spot from her childhood. The resort she's staying at has only one rule: the beach is off-limits after sunset. But when Anna breaks that rule, she finds a long-forgotten friend waiting for her. (Elsanna, mermaid AU, Fluff) (Cover by Arendorable)
1. Prologue - Friendship Made On Beach

Prologue - Friendship Made On A Golden Beach

"Yay! Beach time!" cheered four-year-old Anna Baker, running out onto the soft, warm sand.

"Slow down, Anna," her mother said with a smile. "Wait for us."

Her father just laughed. "As if we could keep up with her carrying all this stuff," he said, gesturing to the beach umbrella, towels, and chairs that the two of them were carrying.

The Baker family were on the island of Motunui, a very popular vacation spot in the South Pacific. It attracted thousands of visitors like themselves every year.

"Beach looks so pretty, Daddy," Anna giggled as she skipped down the beach. She jumped onto the sand and rolled around in it. "The sand is soft and squishy."

"Don't roll around too much, sweetie," her father advised. "You don't want to get sand in your swimsuit, do you?"

Anna got to her feet, smiling. "C'mon! I wanna go in the water!"

"Just hold on until we get our things put down, okay?" her mother replied. "Then you can go swim."

Anna pouted as she always did when things didn't go her way. She loved being in the water, splashing and goofing around.

Once her parents had set up the umbrella and chairs, her father smiled. "Okay, Feisty-pants, you can go and play. Just promise you'll stay where you can see us, alright?"

Anna nodded excitedly. "I promise, Daddy." She gave her parents a hug, then scurried off into the ocean.

Anna's mother sighed. "That little girl is going to be the death of us, Adgar."

"Nah, she's just really excitable," Anna's father remarked. "She gets that from me, you know."

"You, excitable?" Her mother chuckled. "That's a laugh."

Meanwhile, Anna had raced off across the beach, as fast as her tiny legs could carry her slightly chubby body. She climbed up onto some rocks a few yards to the right of where her parents were sitting. She could still see her parents' big red beach umbrella, so she knew she'd be okay. She saw that the water was flowing in between the rocks, forming a cove, and she decided to hop in.

The water was pretty deep, but Anna was a good swimmer; her parents had taught her how to swim when she was three. She poked her head out above the water, making sure she could still see her parents. She didn't want them to worry about her, or for her to lose them.

As she floated in the small cove, she could feel something making waves nearby. She turned around and saw the top of another girl's head poking out of the water, looking at her with big blue eyes.

Anna jumped slightly. "Ah!" She scurried back a little bit, surprised to find someone else in the cove with her.

The other girl moved back as well, clearly frightened. "Eep!" She made like she was about to swim away.

Anna looked down at the other girl, seeing that she was scared. "N-no, don't go. I won't hurt you."

The girl looked at her, clearly uncertain. "You promise?" she asked in a soft voice.

Anna nodded. "I promise."

Anna climbed up onto the rocks and sat down, her feet dangling in the water. The girl swam closer, her upper body now out of the water. She looked to be a few years older than Anna, with long platinum blonde hair, pale skin, and bright blue eyes. She was wearing a pale blue swimming top similar to Anna's.

Anna's eyes widened. "Wow…you're pretty."

The girl blushed, smiling. "Thanks. Um, what's your name? Mine is Elsa."

"Anna," she replied proudly. "Anna Arianne Baker!"

"You have a weird name," Elsa remarked. "And…you look weird too."

Anna looked confused. "No, I don't."

"But you have two fins." At this, Elsa pointed to Anna's legs.

"Fins?" Anna asked. "I'm not a fish, silly! These are my legs."

"L-legs?" Elsa asked.

"Yeah, see?" Anna lifted her right leg, wiggling her foot.

Elsa looked at Anna's leg, grabbing it with her hand. "It's so smooth…where are the scales?"

"I don't have scales," Anna said. "Fish have scales, though. Mommy showed me."

Elsa looked up at Anna. "I have scales. Wanna see?"

Anna nodded. "Yes, please!"

Elsa laid on her back in the water, revealing her whole body to Anna. Just below her belly button, where her legs should have been, there was a long, smooth fish tail coated with sky-blue scales, and at the end were a pair of beautiful, fan-like blue fins.

Anna gasped, her eyes widening. "Elsa…you're a mermaid."

"Shhh!" Elsa shushed her. "Please don't say that so loud."

"Sorry." Anna looked down. "I've just never seen a mermaid before."

Elsa smiled. "I've never seen a…um…." She blushed. "A…land-thing before."

"A land-thing?"

"That's what you are, aren't you?" Elsa asked.

Anna shook her head. "No, I'm not a thing. I'm a girl."

"Girl...?" Elsa asked. "Do all the land-things look like you?"

"No," Anna replied. "There are lots of different ones. Some have different hair, or different eyes, or even different skin. Mommy and Daddy say that it doesn't matter if they look different, though. They say that what people do is more important than how people look."

"So…what are you doing here?" Elsa asked. "Do all land-things live so close to the water?"

"I don't live here. I'm on vacation," Anna told her. "My mommy and daddy are over there, getting the sun on their skin. It makes them look funny."

Elsa giggled. "You land-things are a fascinating bunch."

"What about you?" Anna inquired. "I never thought mermaids would be real, but why did you want me to be quiet about you?"

Elsa looked down. "Well, there's a lot of reasons. My dad told me not to go too far from our home, and to never go near the places where the land met the water. He never explained why, but…I think it's because of who my mom is."

Anna tilted her head to one side, confused. "Huh?"

"See, there are two kinds of things in the ocean," Elsa explained. "There are the merpeople, like my dad…and there are bad creatures called Sirens. Dad says they lure away little mermaids and mermen, and eat them. But he says that not all of them are bad, because…because my mom is one of them."

"So there are two different kinds of mermaids?" Anna asked. "Cool!"

"My dad told me that since my mom is a siren, I'm half-siren. He said that when I get older, they'll give me some of Mom's old things, so that I can learn more about sirens. My parents always tell me that they want me to know as much as I can about both sides of my family."

"My daddy always says a family is the most precious thing of all," Anna stated.

Elsa smiled. "Your dad must be really nice."

"Anna, sweetie!" Anna's mother called to her. "Time to head back now!"

"Aw, man," Anna pouted. "I wanna stay here and play with you."

Elsa giggled. "It's okay. You'll come back tomorrow, right?"

Anna nodded. "Yeah, definitely!"

Anna's father then walked up to her. "You heard your mother, kiddo. Time to go inside. What were you doing up here, anyway?"

Anna looked up at him. "I made a new friend, Daddy!" she answered. "Her name's Elsa, and she's…." She looked down at the cove, only to find that Elsa had vanished. "Oh."

Anna's father raised an eyebrow. "Who are you talking about, honey?"

Anna got to her feet. "My new friend, Elsa. She's really nice. And guess what?" She motioned with her hand for her father to come closer.

He smiled, kneeling down. "What?"

Anna leaned in and whispered in his ear, "She's a mermaid."

"Oh, is she now?" He chuckled. "I'd like to meet her."

"I don't know if she'd like you."

"What, would she be allergic to me?" he joked.

Anna giggled. "Nah, you'd probably smell funny!"

He laughed, picking Anna up. "Come on, Feisty-pants. Let's get cleaned up so we can have dinner."

xXx

Over the next two weeks, Anna and Elsa became fast friends. Every day, Anna would make an excuse to go and see the mermaid. They had a secret meeting spot now: a set of rocks on the beach behind Anna's condo, hidden from the prying eyes of Mr. and Mrs. Baker.

Today, however, was the last day of Anna's vacation on the island, and the last chance she would get to speak with Elsa.

Anna walked out to the meeting spot, wearing shorts, a T-shirt, and flip-flops, and carrying a beach towel over her shoulder. She looked around for a moment, making sure she was alone, then took off her flip-flops and sat down, dangling her feet in the water. She kicked them around a few times, making splashes each time. She just hoped Elsa was near enough to notice.

Elsa then raised her head above the water, smiling as always and swimming towards her. "Hello, Anna."

"Hi, Elsa," Anna said, smiling a bit. "I need to tell you something."

Elsa looked at her, with her usual wide-eyed cheerfulness. "What is it?"

Anna sighed sadly. "Elsa…I'm going back home today. Mommy and Daddy have to go back to work and stuff."

Elsa's smile faltered. "You're…leaving? Y-you'll come back, right?"

"I dunno," Anna replied. "And even if we do, it could be a long time from now."

Elsa looked sad. "Oh…." She then smiled a bit. "But at least we had this past couple of weeks, right? And you taught me so much about…hyoo-mains."

Anna couldn't help giggling at Elsa butchering the word. "It's 'humans', you silly billy."

Elsa reached up out of the water, holding Anna's hand. "I promise, Anna: I'll never forget you."

Anna looked into Elsa's eyes and smiled. "Goodbye, Elsa. I'll see you again…one day."

Elsa leaned up out of the water, giving Anna a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Goodbye, Anna," she said. "I'll be waiting for you." With that, she dove into the water and swam away.

Anna felt her cheek, blushing softly. Only her mother kissed her on the cheek, and now her new friend had just done the same.

After Elsa left, Anna dried off her feet as best as she could before putting her flip-flops back on and starting back towards the condo. As she walked, she took one last look back at the ocean. She could see Elsa off in the distance, waving goodbye to her.

She waved back, saying to herself, "Bye, Elsa. Thanks for being my friend."

As Anna headed back towards her condo, Elsa blew her a kiss and smiled. "We'll meet again, Anna," she said. "I promise."

xXx

 **Author's note:** And so begins my latest Elsanna fic! This is gonna be a long one... ish, so strap in and prepare for a fluff-filled ride with angst near the end! Also, Matty had a lot of fun writing this with me, since he loves mermaids.

See you next time!


	2. Chapter 1 - Return to Motunui

Chapter 1 - Return to Motunui

 _Fourteen years later_

Anna Baker sat in the passenger cabin of the jumbo jet, her eyes watching the sunset out of the window next to her. Finally an adult and her own woman, Anna wanted to treat herself to a nice, peaceful vacation. And what better place than her favourite place from her childhood? She never knew why she remembered Motunui Island so fondly: maybe it was the food, or the music. But whatever the reason, she had never forgotten the two weeks her family had spent there all those years ago.

As she rested herself for the long flight ahead, a young woman with very long blonde hair sat by her. "Do you mind if I sit here?" she asked.

Anna lifted her sunglasses up and raised an eyebrow. "No, not at all. It's a free seat."

The young woman sighed. "Thank you. Something went wrong when I tried to get on board: they said they had a record of me buying my ticket, but apparently, there was a glitch in the system and now someone else had my seat. I've been trying to find an open seat for a while now."

"Hey, it's no problem," Anna replied.

"I'm Rapunzel, by the way, Rapunzel Moore."

"Anna Baker," Anna introduced herself. "You've got a weird name."

"Blame my mother," Rapunzel remarked. She placed her bag in the overhead compartment. "So, you travelling alone?"

"Oh, yeah," Anna said. "My folks are going through a tough divorce, so I wanted to be out of their mind for a while."

"Oh, that must suck," Rapunzel said. "Why are they getting divorced?"

Anna sighed. "When I left for college, my parents didn't take too well to the empty nest," she explained. "Dad said that they kinda stopped talking to each other after a while because there just wasn't anything to say. They started to realize that they knew almost nothing about each other. They felt like they were strangers. And...now they've decided to get a divorce." She sighed again. "At least they waited until I finished freshman year."

"Damn, that sounds kinda harsh," Rapunzel admitted.

"Yeah, it's hell at home right now," Anna replied.

"And you're gonna solve this by going to Motunui Island?"

"Yep," Anna confirmed. "I went there when I was a kid. Great place."

"I'm going because my girlfriend recently moved there," Rapunzel said. "We haven't seen each other in a few months; we're kind of an online relationship thing, but we meet up when we can. But now that she has this place on Motunui, I'm going to live with her."

"That's so cute," Anna remarked. "What's her name?"

"Her name's Cassandra," she said. "But everyone calls her Cass."

"Nice name," Anna replied. "How long have you been with her?"

Rapunzel shrugged. "A little under a year, I think. I'm not good with dates."

"So... I take it she's probably not from around here," Anna remarked.

"Nope. She's from London, actually. She was born in the US, but she was raised in the UK. Also, she's crazy rich."

"Sounds like Lara Croft to me," Anna commented.

"Actually, you're not that far off," Rapunzel remarked. "She's really into history and archaeology, and she's always taking me out to do these crazy things: hiking, ziplining, scuba diving, the works."

"Sounds like fun," Anna admitted. "I'm not exactly much in terms of activity, or relationships."

"No boyfriend or girlfriend?"

"Never got around to finding one," Anna stated.

"Aww, I'd hate for you to be lonely," Rapunzel said. "I don't think Cass would mind you staying with us."

"Nah, I got a place booked at the resort anyway," Anna told her.

"All right," Rapunzel replied with a shrug. "But you're welcome to stop by and say hi if you want."

"Thanks," Anna said. "I appreciate it. It's always good to make new friends."

"And Anna...maybe this trip will be the one where you find your soulmate."

Anna laughed. "I don't believe in that mumbo-jumbo."

"Come on, it's romantic!" Rapunzel insisted. "A beautiful island resort, amazing evenings under the stars; it sounds like sensual heaven to me."

Anna laughed. "As if anyone would be interested in a dork like me."

"Someone will be," Rapunzel replied. "My mom always told me that everyone has a soulmate in this world, someone who would complete them as a person."

"Well, I'm already complete as a person," Anna remarked.

"And that's perfectly fine," Rapunzel went on. "I'm not saying you _have_ to have a significant other to be a complete person. I'm just saying that it helps. Think of it like this: you're already a strong, beautiful flower. A significant other would be the rain that helps to keep you strong."

Anna nodded. "I get what you're saying, Rapunzel. I just don't really know if I even have a soulmate, let alone where I'm gonna find him. Or her."

"Would all passengers please fasten their seatbelts for takeoff," the PA announcer then stated.

Anna and Rapunzel fastened their seatbelts. "How long of a flight is this again?" Anna asked.

The blonde shrugged. "Hell if I know."

Anna sighed. "Well, here's hoping it's a long one."

xXx

The next morning, Anna's plane landed at Motunui International Airport, gently taxiing onto the runway. As the plane moved towards the terminal, Anna stared out of the window, seeing the island hadn't changed much from when she had come here all those years ago.

Rapunzel stirred from sleep, snorting a little. "Uhh… Are we here?"

"Yeah we are, sleepyhead," Anna stated. "God, those peanuts must've had a sedative in them. You were out like a light."

Rapunzel rubbed her eyes. "Altitude makes me sleepy."

"Not me, I've been up all night," Anna remarked. "Or all day, if that's how it works."

"Do you not sleep at all?"

"No, I sleep all the time. But when I tried to this time, I had this really strange dream, and then I just couldn't get back to sleep."

"Oh, it's probably the cabin pressure," Rapunzel said. "It always gives you weird dreams."

Anna nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right." She tried to remember the dream she had the night before, but she could only remember two things. The first was water, still and slightly salty. And the second was the most beautiful pair of cool blue eyes that she had ever seen.

"So weird..." she silently said to herself.

Rapunzel then got up and reached for her bag as the other passengers got off the plane. "I think we could both use some fresh air."

Anna nodded and picked up her backpack from on the floor between her legs. "I think you might be right."

As they walked to the stairs off the plane, Rapunzel felt the warm air through the walls. "Wow, this place is really hot."

"It's one of the hottest places in the world," Anna stated. "According to Wikipedia, at least."

"Really?"

"Yeah, this place is like right on the equator or something," Anna explained. She stretched her arms, inhaling the salty air through her nostrils. "Ahh, I love the smell of the ocean."

"Me too," Rapunzel agreed. "I grew up on a beach."

The two girls walked into the terminal, seeing various people getting to and from their flights, most of them being tourists on their vacations. Anna couldn't help chuckling at a few of them, wearing gaudy Hawaiian shirts and cargo shorts with cameras hanging around their necks.

"What are you sniggering at?" Rapunzel smirked.

"I forgot how gaudy the shirts were here," Anna stated. "It's gotten a lot busier since I was a kid."

"Well, now that there's more industry here, more people are interested in living here full-time," Rapunzel said as they walked through the terminal. "Cass moved here because she got a job at a tech company based here." She then looked at her watch. "Ah, crap; I'm supposed to go meet Cass. She said she'd be waiting in the Starbucks here."

Anna giggled. "You go on and meet your girlfriend. It was nice meeting you, Punzie."

"You too!" Rapunzel agreed. "Can I have your number? In case I wanna text you later."

"Sure." Anna took out a pen and an old napkin from her purse, scribbling down her number and handing it to Rapunzel.

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "You could just show me your phone, you know."

"Nah, my family's a bit old-fashioned," Anna said with a smile.

Rapunzel shrugged. "Whatever. Have it your way."

After she typed the number into her phone, she looked at Anna. "Well, I guess I'll see you around, then."

"Take care, Rapunzel," Anna bid her farewell.

As Rapunzel walked away, Anna headed to the front gate of the airport, standing at the meet and greet stand. She quickly checked her phone, having noted down the details of her particular vacation. She was to be picked up at this stop by a valet who would drive her to the resort.

She looked around. There were a lot of cars here, but she knew that her driver would probably be holding up a sign with her name on it.

Just then, a car pulled up next to her, a silver coloured hatchback with the logo of the resort on its door. A man got out of the car, wearing quite a casual uniform with shaggy blonde hair.

Anna squinted. The man seemed a bit familiar to her. "Kristoff…?"

The man turned to see her. "Anna? Anna Baker?"

"Oh my God, Kristoff Bjorgman?!" Anna ran up and threw her arms around him. "It's been forever!"

Kristoff hugged her back, smiling. "Well, I wasn't expecting this. I mean, I knew I was picking up an Anna Baker, but I didn't know it'd be you."

Anna sighed, feeling warm in her old friend's embrace. She and Kristoff had been best friends back in high school; he had often helped her with her homework and was a loyal companion to her.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" she asked him. "I thought you were a country boy."

"I am," Kristoff replied. "But you'd be surprised how crowded the job market can get."

"So you took a job as a valet," Anna said. "For an island resort. In the South Pacific."

"It actually pays quite well," Kristoff informed her, walking to the side of the car and opening the door. "Care to get in, m'lady?"

Anna giggled. Kristoff always liked to play that Anna was a princess and he was some sort of butler to her. "Kristoff, I'm eighteen. You don't need to keep doing that with me."

"It's nostalgic," Kristoff remarked.

Anna rolled her eyes. "God, and I thought I was a dork."

She climbed into the back of the car and Kristoff got in as well, starting the car up. As they drove away from the airport, he asked her, "So what brings you here?"

"I'm on vacation, duh," Anna responded.

"Yeah, but why?" Kristoff asked.

"Just to get away from everything. My parents are getting a divorce, and I didn't wanna get caught in that crossfire."

"Ah, I get that," Kristoff acknowledged. "But it's pretty far to get away from some shit at home."

"I know, but I have memories of this place, very good ones. You remember how I used to go on about it?"

"Yep. In fact, it was you telling me about this island that got me to look into getting a job here in the first place." Kristoff smiled. "I think I made a good decision there."

Anna nodded. "Yeah, you did."

"So how long are you here for?" Kristoff inquired.

"Two weeks. I wanted it to be three, but I couldn't afford it."

"Well, one of the perks of working for the resort is that they give me a free apartment to stay in," Kristoff said. "So if you wanna stay longer, just say the word." He winked.

Anna giggled. "You're the second person who's offered me a place here."

"Oh?" he asked. "Who was the first?"

"A girl I met on the flight here. Her name's Rapunzel."

"Isn't that a fairy tale?"

Anna shrugged. "Don't ask me."

The car eventually arrived at the Cravalho Beach Resort, where Anna had booked her stay. The resort was a large hotel by a beach, with various vacation condos just by the beach that were designed to resemble the huts in which the island's natives had lived long ago.

"I remember the hotel being smaller," Anna remarked.

"There's been a lot of changes over the years," Kristoff explained.

At that moment a young Polynesian woman with dark brown hair and wearing a beautiful red dress with white flower patterns walked over to her. "Good morning, Miss Baker. I'm Moana Waialiki, director of the Cravalho Resort. I'm here to escort you to your condo."

"Oh, thank you," Anna said gratefully.

"I see you and Mr Bjorgman know each other," Moana remarked.

"Oh yeah, we go waaay back," Anna stated.

"Well, I'll leave y'all to it," Kristoff said. "Good seeing you again, Anna."

"See you around Kristoff!" Anna said her goodbyes as Kristoff drove off.

Moana then smiled at Anna. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you straight down to your condo."

"Thanks," Anna replied. "God, I've been itching to put my feet up ever since I got here."

"Well, you'll soon have your chance." The woman smiled, then started to walk down a small, paved pathway from the front of the hotel down to the beach.

As Anna followed behind her, she took a moment to remember how all those years ago she was on this very beach, playing around in that crystal clear water. Being here, Anna felt like she was four years old again, waiting for her parents so that she could go swimming in the ocean.

Moana led Anna down the beach to her condo, unlocking the door and taking her inside. "The room has everything you need: TV, Wi-fi, fridge, and so on. Also, you see that little path right there?" She pointed out the back door, where a small sidewalk let in between some bushes. "For you, that's the closest path to the beach. Speaking of which, there's one very important rule here at the resort." She looked Anna in the eye and said in a stern voice, "The beach is off-limits after sunset."

"Why?" Anna wondered. "I mean, does nobody do any of those romantic moonlight walks around here?"

"Because there's a lot of...wildlife that hangs out on the beach at night. And we don't want the guests harming them, or vice versa."

"Wildlife?" Anna's eyes widened.

Moana nodded. "Sea turtles, wild birds, that sort of thing. We try to keep our impact on nature to an absolute minimum here."

"Oh... I was kinda hoping you had like some sort of killer shark."

"No, no, nothing like that," Moana told her. "Why on Earth would you think that?"

Anna smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "I…might have watched Jaws on the flight here."

Moana sighed. "Look, just don't go on the beach at night, okay? It's the only mandatory rule we have here, so I expect you to follow it."

"Okay, okay, fine," Anna said. "I'll stay off the beach."

"Thank you," Moana said walking towards the door. "If you require any more help, just go to the hotel and ask at the front desk." She closed the door behind her and left her in peace.

Anna groaned. "Stupid rules. It's like being at summer camp all over again."

Anna's phone then vibrated, telling her she had a notification. "Now what?"

She looked at her phone's screen, seeing the words "Rapunzel Moore wants to be your friend on Messenger" in the notifications tab.

Anna smiled, swiping to open the app. "That's a pleasant surprise," she said to herself.

She soon sat down on a chair, accepting Rapunzel's request and sending her a message.

 **Anna: Hi.**

 **Rapunzel: Hey. Is this the Anna that I met on the flight? If not, whoops, the wrong number.**

 **Anna: No, it's the right Anna.**

 **Rapunzel: Oh thank God, I was worried there for a sec. Did you get to your resort okay?**

 **Anna: Yeah, I'm here. And I'm fine, don't worry. Did you meet up with that girl of yours?**

 **Rapunzel: Oh yeah, we're at her place now. It's amazing and so big! How's your place?**

 **Anna: It's pretty decent, Has a stupid rule about not swimming at night.**

 **Rapunzel: Oh, yeah, I heard about that. Cass told me there's a rumour about some kind of weird sea creature that comes out at night, and that's why they have that rule.**

 **Anna: The lady who runs the resort said something similar. Sounds a bit fishy to me.**

 **Rapunzel: LOL**

 **Anna: Doesn't matter, though. I don't wanna get kicked out of this place.**

 **Rapunzel: Come on, it might be something cool. Aren't you at least a bit curious?**

 **Anna thought for a moment. Rapunzel was right. There was something about this that had piqued her curiosity.**

 **Anna: Fine. I'll go out tomorrow night and take a look.**

 **Rapunzel: Why not tonight?**

 **Anna: Because screw you, I'm lazy.**

 **Rapunzel: I think you're chicken CLUCK CLUCK CLUCK**

 **Anna: Don't make me come over there!**

 **Rapunzel: CLUCK CLUCK CLUCK**

 **Anna: Fine, fine, I'll go out tonight. Jesus H. Christ.**

 **Rapunzel: Don't forget to take a selfie with the sea monster. Cass will be just green with envy.**

 **Anna: And risk the sea monster drowning my phone? No thanks.**

 **Rapunzel: CLUCK CLUCK**

 **Anna: Woman, I will shove a live chicken up your ass if you don't knock that shit off.**

 **Rapunzel: :P**

 **Anna: Fine, I'll take the selfie. But if I get kicked out of this place, I'm coming to live with you and I'm forcing you to do all of my laundry.**

 **Rapunzel: Sounds fair.**

Anna then closed her phone. "Ten bucks says there's no sea monster anyway."

xXx

That night, Anna crept out of her condo onto the darkened beach. She was wearing a green swim bra and pants, something that should have been cold for her to wear, but the beach was strangely still warm, even at night. The full moon hung in the sky above her.

Anna skipped over to the water's edge, sitting on the beach and letting the waves tickle her feet. "Hah, this'll be a piece of cake," Anna told herself. "No one else is here but me."

As she looked over, she saw what looked like a small rocky inlet. There was something about it that felt strangely familiar to her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

She gently crept across the beach to the rocks, sitting in the cool, salty water. "I feel like I've been here before..." she said to herself.

As she got closer to the rocks, a soft sound began to fill the air. It sounded like...singing. It was a beautiful melody, filling the moonlit scene with a sense of serenity. Whatever it was, Anna loved it, even if she couldn't understand what the words were. They appeared to be in Greek, or some other foreign tongue.

Anna crept towards the inlet, hoping that whatever was singing wasn't the sea monster Rapunzel had mentioned. She climbed up over the rocks and was greeted by an astonishing sight: a young woman with pale skin, only a few years older than herself, laying in the water and gazing up at the moon. Her wet platinum blonde hair was tied back in a long French braid, and she wore a pale blue top that matched her eyes. A small purple seashell hung from a black cord around her neck, and there was a pink flower in her hair. But where the woman's legs should have been, there was instead a blue fish tail.

Anna's eyes widened. "My God..." she whispered. "A mermaid. A real mermaid."

As Anna listened to the mermaid's song, she recognized a single word among the lyrics: her own name.

"Is she...is she singing about...me?" Anna murmured.

The woman's eyes widened and she looked over at Anna, gasping in surprise.

"Oh shit," Anna swore. She gulped and moved closer to the woman. "Ummm, hi?"

The mermaid immediately dove into the water and started to swim away.

"Hey!" Anna exclaimed. "Wait!" Anna dove into the water after her.

Anna looked down into the ocean below, seeing no sign of the other woman. As she swam deeper and deeper, her eyes began to feel heavy. The pressure was getting too much for her. As darkness started to eat at the corners of her vision, she felt something pull her arm and drag her out of the water onto the beach.

Anna coughed up some water and patted her chest. "Oh boy…" she groaned. "I'm never doing that again." Anna looked to her side and her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh."

The mermaid was laying on the sand beside her, gazing at her with wide eyes. Anna looked into the mermaid's eyes, not daring to speak. Those eyes...they were the same ones she had seen in her dream. Those same beautiful, clear, cool blue eyes.

The mermaid stroked Anna's cheek with her hand.

"Anna…" she said softly. "It's really you."

xXx

 **Author's note:** IT'S ELSIEEEE! Now, you might be wondering why Anna is surprised to see her, but all will be explained. As for the other bits, Cass and Punzie were obviously gonna be there, since I've been wanting to have them as a couple in one of these big fics for a while. (Sorry, Merida, maybe next time.) As for Moana, I hope I portrayed her quite well.

See you next time!


	3. Chapter 2 - Elsa, A Mysterious Stranger

Chapter 2 - Elsa, A Mysterious Stranger

"Wait...who are you?" Anna asked. "How do you know my name?" Had she met this mermaid before? And if so, how did she not remember it?

The mermaid looked sad, moving away. "I forgot," she murmured. "The magic..." Anna could see her face drooping and her bottom lip slowly wobble as if the beautiful creature might cry.

"What magic?" Anna demanded to know, sitting up. "Just what the hell is going on?!"

The mermaid shook her head. "It doesn't matter," she said. "I was a fool to think you'd remember."

"Remember what?"

"The time we shared," the mermaid answered. "A very long time ago."

"Wait...I've met you before?" Anna was getting more questions than answers.

The mermaid nodded. "My name is Elsa. We met many years ago, when you first came to this island with your parents."

"Whoa, whoa, hold on," Anna said. "I remember that vacation like it was yesterday. I'm pretty sure I'd remember meeting a fucking mermaid."

Elsa sighed. "Let me explain. The day you left the island, I kissed your cheek as a way of saying goodbye. But it wasn't until years later that I realized: when I kissed you...I accidentally put a spell on you."

"What kind of spell?" Anna asked.

"A spell to erase your memory. Within a few weeks of that day, you would have forgotten everything about who you were and where you came from. But I was young, and my magic was weak. So the only thing that you forgot about...was me."

"We were... friends?" Anna then asked.

Elsa nodded. "You would come to visit me every day. You taught me all about your world, and about humans. And I would teach you about merpeople and sirens."

"Wait, what's a siren?" Anna inquired.

"Well, it's a..." Elsa looked down. "Never mind. You have to go, now. Before Moana catches you out here."

"The resort director? She knows about you?" Just then, everything clicked. Elsa must have been the "wildlife" that Moana was talking about.

Suddenly, Anna heard a voice saying "Ahem." She jumped as if she'd heard a gunshot, and turned around to see Moana standing behind them, wearing a red nightgown and pink piggie slippers. "I thought I told you no going out after dark."

Elsa looked up at her. "Moana, please," she said pleadingly. "This is the girl I told you about. The one who taught me about humans."

"Elsa, if she tells anyone about you, who knows what could happen," Moana argued.

"No, Moana. I can trust Anna." Elsa then closed her eyes, a pale blue light swirling around her tail, splitting it in half and transforming it into a pair of slender human legs.

"Woah!" Anna exclaimed.

Elsa slowly stood up, arms pinwheeling as she tried to keep her balance. Once she was on her feet, she looked Moana in the eye. "She didn't tell anyone about me before," she said. "Why would she tell anyone now?"

"Because now that she isn't a child, people might believe her," Moana countered.

"Moana, I trust this girl," Elsa repeated. "I've trusted you for the past three years, haven't I?"

"Okay, okay, time the hell out!" Anna butted in. "Can someone please explain to me what the fuck this is all about?!"

Moana groaned. "Come on back to your condo. I'll explain everything there."

"You better," Anna stated. "All this talk about magic mumbo-jumbo is giving me a headache... although that might be from the water pressure."

xXx

A few minutes later, the three had returned to Anna's condo. While Anna and Elsa sat on the couch together, Moana was making coffee. She took two cups of coffee and brought one over to Elsa, who was now wrapped up in a beach towel. "I assume you're thirsty, Elsa."

"Yes, I am." Elsa sipped the coffee. "Mmm, this coffee stuff is the best. Although, seaweed tea is much sweeter."

"So…" Anna said, tapping her fingers on the table. "Is anyone gonna give me the big explanation?"

"Well, as you've probably figured out by now, I'm a mermaid," Elsa began. "Well, half mermaid, half siren. Merpeople like me have been living in the seas for centuries."

"So there are more of you?" Anna inquired. "Can all of you grow legs like that?"

Elsa shook her head. "No, only sirens can grow legs and use magic."

"And since you're half-and-half..." Anna said.

"Yes," Elsa replied. "I can use the magic to turn myself into a human."

"But there's a lot more to it than just that," Moana put in. "Miss Baker, Elsa is the _only_ known mermaid/siren hybrid in existence. She can't stay in the merpeople's kingdom of Ashelora, because she'd be captured and put in prison. And she can't stay in the siren kingdom because-"

"Because they would eat me," Elsa finished.

"Wait-they're cannibals?!" Anna exclaimed.

"More like mermaid sharks with hypnotic powers," Elsa corrected her. "So…no, not cannibals."

"That makes me feel so much better," Anna commented, shivering at the thought of being torn limb from limb by a horde of ravenous sea creatures.

"That's why I've been living here, in the waters around the island," Elsa explained. "I have nowhere else to go."

"So then…how did Moana get wrapped up in all this?" Anna's eyes widened. "Oh my god is she a mermaid too?!"

"No, I'm human," Moana told her. "I found Elsa one night a few years ago, washed up on the shore. She'd been injured while scavenging a shipwreck, and I helped patch her up. I've been keeping her hidden ever since, so no one can hurt her. That's why you're not allowed on the beach at night: it's the only time when Elsa can come to the surface."

"And I screwed it up," Anna groaned.

"No, I guess I couldn't always expect everyone to follow the rules," Moana said. "And for the record, no, your friend Kristoff doesn't know about her. The only people who know are sitting in this room."

"So what happens to me now?"

"I don't know, but I can't let you go away from this resort knowing what you know," Moana answered. "I'm sorry, but you know too much."

Anna sighed, rubbing her temples. "Aw, crapbaskets."

Elsa looked at Moana, confused.

The Polynesian woman patted Elsa's shoulder. "I'll explain later," she said quietly.

Elsa nodded. "Alright."

Moana then returned her attention to Anna. "Look, Miss Baker, if Elsa trusts you, then so do I. But we just can't take any chances. I promised Elsa that I'd keep her safe, and that's a promise I intend to keep."

Anna then stood up. "Then I'll do that too. I'll protect Elsa as well. Even if I have to stay on this island for the rest of my life."

Elsa's eyes widened. "Anna, isn't that a bit extreme?"

"Look, if I can't go away from here, I might as well make the most of things," Anna replied. "And if you need protection, I'm happy to oblige."

Elsa smiled. "You did promise to come back to see me all those years ago, and…you were very kind to me."

"I'm kind to everyone," Anna stated. "My mom says it makes me too naïve."

"I say it makes you a good person inside," Elsa stated. "And…I could use a friend. I can get lonely some days."

"Well, consider me your new friend," Anna said, smiling. "Maybe you can help me remember everything I forgot."

"Oh, I'd be happy to," Elsa agreed. "And you can stay here for as long as you want."

"Wait, I can't. I'm only here for two weeks."

"She's right, Elsa," Moana told her. "She paid for two weeks."

"I'll pay for her stay, don't worry," Elsa told her. "I have some gold stored in my cave from some of the shipwrecks I've scavenged. One of those coins is probably worth a stay in this condo for six months, correct?"

Moana sighed. "Fine. You win, Elsa."

Elsa smiled. "Yay!"

"So does Elsa sleep underwater, or does she have her own place here as well?" Anna asked.

"I'll stay with you, if you don't mind, Anna," Elsa suggested. "After all, this condo is a lot warmer than a cave under the ocean."

"Wait-a cave?!" Anna asked in surprise and shock.

"Well, it's more like a little grotto," Elsa admitted.

"That sounds awesome!" Anna exclaimed.

Elsa shrugged. "It's okay, I guess. It's a little dark, and it gets cold at night, especially during..." Her voice trailed off, and she sat there rubbing her chin in thought for a few seconds. "During...what's the word for that time when that cold white stuff falls from the sky?"

"Winter, Elsa," Moana answered.

"Yes, winter!" Elsa said, snapping her fingers.

"Well if you girls are planning on turning in, no sense in me being here any longer," Moana told them. "I'll check on you in the morning, Elsa."

Elsa nodded. "Thanks, Moana." She blew her a kiss.

Anna giggled. "What's with the blowing kisses?"

"You told me when we were little," Elsa replied. "That's how humans say goodbye to their friends. They wave, or they blow kisses."

After Moana walked out of the condo, Anna looked into Elsa's eyes. "By the way…I never did get the chance to thank you for saving me."

Elsa smiled. "Why wouldn't I? You're my friend, Anna."

"Well, good. I just hope I don't forget you this time."

"Don't worry. I'm in full control of my magic now. I won't let that happen again." Elsa then looked Anna over. "You haven't physically changed much."

Anna giggled. "Is that a good thing?"

"It is," Elsa told her. "It means the girl who called me pretty is still pretty herself all these years later."

Anna blushed. "Wow...thanks, Elsa."

Elsa then yawned. "I think it's time I get some sleep. I always feel more tired after I drink coffee."

"Yeah, I'll turn in as well," Anna replied. "I need my beauty sleep too."

Elsa blushed. "Um, Anna, can I ask a small favour?"

"What is it?" Anna asked.

"Well, when I stay with Moana in my human form, and I get in bed, she always does this...thing that makes me really comfy. She calls it 'tucking me in.' Will you, um...will you do that for me, please?"

"Ummmm…okay," Anna agreed. She then walked over to the couch and tucked Elsa into the blanket. "Comfy?"

Elsa nodded. "Thanks, Anna."

Anna smiled. "Goodnight, Elsa."

"Goodnight, Anna," Elsa replied. Then, in a slightly guttural voice, she added, _"Kruun kaurh."_

"What was that?" Anna asked.

"The language of merpeople," Elsa explained. "It sounds different when we sing."

Anna giggled. "It sounded like you were burping."

"Yeah, I know," Elsa replied. "That's why we usually only sing in that language. We speak in...English, I think it's called."

"What did you say?" Anna inquired.

"I said, 'Sweet dreams.'"

Anna smiled, blushing at Elsa's cuteness. "Sweet dreams to you too, Elsa." And with that, she headed off to bed.

xXx

 **Author's note:** I suppose now that Elsa is finally in the fic again, I can mention my biggest inspiration for this. Yes, it was none other than the OG Elsanna Mermaid fic, **Shore** , written by athpluver. It was one of the first fics I ever read and is one that left a really big impact on me. So, athpluver, big Elsanna writer extraordinaire and host of Elsanna week, if you are reading this fic, here's to you and whatever you are writing now!

Oh and fun fact, in my drafts for this chapter, Moana was actually holding a shotgun xD

Anyway, see you next time!


	4. Chapter 3 - Anna's New Friends

Chapter 3 - Anna's New Friends

The next morning, Anna woke up quite late, even by her standards. But since she didn't have to get up for school or work, she didn't see the point in getting up early.

As she rubbed her eyes and got out of her bed, she walked down to the living room, finding Elsa had gone. Anna would have been worried, but she knew there was something about her new friend that meant she wouldn't leave her side.

As she set about making a sandwich for herself, she heard her phone buzz on the table. She picked up her phone and saw she had a text.

 **Rapunzel: So… how was the late night stroll?**

Anna felt worried about what to say. She knew she couldn't tell Rapunzel about Elsa, but she had to tell her something. After several seconds, she typed out a message.

 **Anna: It was okay, I guess. No sea monster or anything like that. I almost got in trouble, but I managed to talk my way out of it.**

 **Rapunzel: Just okay?**

 **Anna: Yeah, that's what I just said.**

 **Rapunzel: Don't believe you :P**

 **Anna: Well, believe it.**

 **Rapunzel: Alright, alright, I'm taking your word for it. Just wanted to ask, would you like to come over to mine and Cass's? I mean, I kinda wanna see you again.**

 **Anna: Sure. I'm gonna be staying here a lot longer than a couple of weeks anyway.**

 **Rapunzel: How come?**

 _Agh!_ Anna thought.

 **Anna: Just because.**

 **Rapunzel: Anna, is there someone else involved here? Someone you like? ;)**

 **Anna: No…maybe.**

 **Rapunzel: Haha! Knew it! You had a secret date last night!**

A lightbulb went off in Anna's head.

 **Anna: Fine, I admit it. When I went out to the beach, there was someone else out there. A girl named Elsa.**

 **Rapunzel: Sounds European. I can't wait to meet her.**

 **Anna: She's probably not coming with me.**

 **Rapunzel: Aww, why not? :(**

 **Anna: Because she works here at the resort, and she's busy tonight.**

 **Rapunzel: Oh, I see how it is ;)**

 **Anna: IT'S NOT LIKE THAT! I ONLY JUST MET HER!**

 **Rapunzel: Calm down, Red, I was joking.**

 **Anna: Red?**

 **Rapunzel: Yeah. Because of your hair, you know?**

 **Anna: It's technically not red.**

 **Rapunzel: Well it's red-ish, so I'm calling you Red.**

 **Anna: Whatever. What time do you want me to come over?**

 **Rapunzel: Maybe this afternoon, if you're okay with that.**

 **Anna: Sure, no problem. Question: How am I gonna get there? I don't have a car.**

 **Rapunzel: Doesn't the resort have a car hire thingy?**

 **Anna: Yeah, you're right. I'll see if I can rent myself a car.**

 **Rapunzel: Great, see ya later!**

As Anna closed her phone, she cast a glance out towards the beach outside the rear window of her condo. She hoped that if Elsa was out there, she was safe.

xXx

That afternoon, after getting a quick lunch at the hotel's restaurant, Anna drove along the short highway across the island in a little hired Fiat, heading for the place where Rapunzel was now residing. The island was just as beautiful as she remembered, full of exotic plant life and beautiful flowers, as well as impressive buildings and homes.

Eventually, Anna turned off the highway and onto a coastal road, arriving at the address Rapunzel had texted her. Cass's home was a small but somewhat impressive villa, with a clear view of the ocean.

Anna got out of her car and whistled. "Wow...Cass must have a very well paying job."

She walked up to the front door and rang the bell, smoothing out the front of her T-shirt.

Rapunzel then opened the door, grinning at her. "Anna!"

"Hey, Rapunzel," Anna replied cheerily. "Cass has a really nice setup here."

"You're telling me!" Rapunzel agreed. "This place is so big! You wanna come inside?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Right this way," Rapunzel offered, standing aside.

Anna stepped inside the villa, mouth agape in awe. "Wow," she said simply. The interior of the villa was just as impressive as the exterior, filled with all sorts of books, art, and assorted expensive-looking odds and ends.

"You like my house?" a rather kindly voice asked her.

Anna looked up and saw a young woman slightly older than her and Rapunzel walk into the entrance hall, wearing a burgundy top and brown pants. She had very short black hair, in a pixie cut.

Anna nodded. "Yeah, it's really nice."

The young woman smiled. "Thanks. I worked hard on it. I'm Cass, by the way."

"Anna, Anna Baker," Anna replied, introducing herself.

"Raps told me about you," Cass stated. "Although, I figured you'd be a bit taller."

Anna shrugged. "Well, I'm just under six feet, so I'm not THAT short."

Cass giggled. "Mind if I give you the tour of the place?"

"Yes, please!" Anna exclaimed excitedly.

Cass led Anna into the large living room at the rear of the villa, that had a massive window that gave a good view of the ocean.

"You must really like the ocean, huh?" Anna remarked.

Cass nodded. "There's something about it that's always fascinated me."

"What might that be?" Anna wondered.

Cass shrugged. "I'd tell you if I knew. But whatever it is, it's held my attention ever since I was young."

"I think it's mermaids!" Rapunzel put in. "Cass has a lot of paintings of them, you see." She then pointed to a large painting of a red-headed mermaid on the wall. "Like that one there."

Anna blushed a bit. "Mermaids, huh?"

Cass nodded. "Another fascination of mine. Guess I'm really into water." She giggled.

"I guess you are. Makes sense you live on an island."

"Yes but even an island can be lonely," Cass stated. "Well, it used to be anyway." She then looked at Rapunzel and gave her a wink.

Rapunzel smiled, kissing Cass's cheek. "You're the best, you know that?"

"Ummmm…." Cass thought for a moment. "Yeah, I know." She then kissed Rapunzel's lips.

At that moment, Anna's phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out, seeing that she'd received a text from a number she didn't recognize.

 **Unknown Number: Is this Anna?**

 **Anna: Ummm, yes?**

 **Anna: Who's this?**

 **Unknown Number: It's Elsa. Moana gave me this thing called a "phone" so I could send her a message if I got in trouble. I saw you had one too, and I thought maybe I could figure out how to send a message to you.**

 **Anna: A mermaid with a phone. Never thought I'd see the day xD**

 **Unknown Number: I hope I'm not bothering you, Anna. I mostly just wanted to make sure this thing worked.**

 **Anna: It's okay, Elsa. I'll be back soon, after dinner.**

 **Unknown Number: Okay. Have a good day!**

As Anna put down her phone, Rapunzel asked her. "Who were you texting?"

"Elsa," Anna answered. "She wanted to know how I was."

"Who's this Elsa?" Cass inquired.

"Anna's girlfriend," Rapunzel informed her.

Cass smiled. "Well, then. Maybe you should bring her along next time you come over here."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Anna argued.

"Are you sure?" Rapunzel teased.

Cass looked at the time. "Hmmm, better put the oven on. Anna, would you like to stay for dinner?"

"I was kinda counting on it, actually. Especially after seeing how pricey the food was at the hotel restaurant"

"Yeah, the prices over in the tourism part of the island are very high," Cass expressed. "But don't worry, I'll cook you up something good for dinner."

"You'll love Cass's cooking," Rapunzel commented. "Whenever she came to visit me back home, she'd always cook a meal that would make even a gourmet chef envious."

"I don't need a hype man, Raps," Cass said.

"I'm looking forward to it," Anna replied with a chuckle.

xXx

After a hearty meal and chat with Cass and Rapunzel, Anna made her way back to her condo, seeing the sun starting to set over the beach.

She went back inside her condo, taking out her phone to send a text to Elsa.

 **Anna: Hey, Elsa. Let me know when it's safe for me to come and see you, okay?**

Suddenly she felt a pair of hands place themselves on her waist, and a warm, slightly wet body embraced her. "Hey, Anna."

Anna gasped and jumped. "Elsa, what the hell?!"

Elsa giggled. "I wanted to surprise you, so I turned human and came back here. Moana gave me a key to this place." She held up the key, which hung from a short brown string around her wrist.

Anna blushed. "Could you let go now? I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable."

Elsa let go and took a couple steps back. "Sorry," she apologized.

Anna then walked into the living room, noticing a collection of seashells on the table. "Hey, what are these doing here?"

"Oh, sorry," Elsa said, moving towards the table. "I like to collect seashells. It's a...what's the word...a hobby of mine."

Anna sat down on the couch opposite the table, picking up one of the shells and examining it. "These are beautiful! Where did you find them?"

"Some I found on the beach, others on the ocean floor," Elsa explained. She then picked up a shell and handed it to Anna. "This one is my personal favourite." It was a nautilus shell, cream-coloured, with brown lines swirling around towards its centre.

"Woah, where did you find this one?"

"It was actually the first shell I ever found here…. It wasn't long before I met you."

"You mean now?" Anna asked. "Or...when we were kids?"

"When we were kids... I showed it to you back then." Elsa giggled. "You thought it was a big piece of…what's that sweet thing you humans eat?"

"Candy?" Anna suggested.

"Yes, that's it."

Anna laughed. "Oh, I was such a troublemaker when I was small. Dad would call me Feisty-pants because I was so full of energy."

Elsa smiled. "I remember. I heard him call you that once. I always wondered what it meant, though. I knew what 'feisty' meant, but back then, I'd never heard of 'pants.'"

Anna then looked down at Elsa's legs, seeing she wasn't wearing any underwear at all. She blushed again. "Ummm, speaking of pants, maybe you should put some on."

"Why? We're the only ones here."

Anna sighed. "Because...because I'm not comfortable with a half-naked fish girl in my condo."

Elsa nodded. "I understand." She went and got the beach towel that she'd had the previous night, wrapping it around her waist. "Is that better?"

"Much."

Elsa sat back down. "I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable," she said. "I'm not used to being human."

"Well, I'm not used to being buddies with a fish girl," Anna responded.

Elsa looked out of the window. "It's a beautiful evening. Would you like to sit outside with... what's the word for that drink you humans like, the one that's orange?"

"Orange juice, and sure, that sounds like a plan."

Anna poured a glass of orange juice for Elsa, and the two girls walked down to the beach, sitting down on the sand.

Elsa smiled, gazing up at the stars. "They're so beautiful," she said. "When I was younger, I used to come up to our secret spot every night just to look at the stars. I liked to pretend that wherever you were, you were looking at them too."

"Nah, I wasn't much of an astronomy girl," Anna pointed out. "Sci-fi, space, stars, that wasn't my kinda thing."

The mermaid shrugged. "Like I said, I _pretended_ you were looking at them."

Anna sighed. "I wish I hadn't forgotten you, Elsa. I would've loved to have had a friend like you growing up."

"I thought Moana mentioned you had a friend. Someone named Kristoff."

"Yeah, he's a friend, but I meant like a girl friend. You know, someone that I can talk to about girl stuff?"

Elsa nodded. "I know what you mean. It's not exactly easy trying to explain mermaid problems to Moana. Actually, they're more like siren problems."

"What sort of problems might those be?" Anna inquired.

"Well..." Elsa blushed. "It's...sort of like...um..." She was clearly trying to think of a way to get her point across as delicately as possible. "Moana calls it my...time of the month."

Anna's eyebrows raised. "Ohhhhh."

Elsa nodded. "Once every month, for about a day or two, my, um…my…." She gestured to her breasts. "These. They swell up, and they produce this liquid…."

Anna covered her mouth. "Please stop," she said. "You're making me feel queasy."

Elsa immediately stopped talking, her face flushed in embarrassment. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. My mother told me that it was just a natural part of growing up, so…I didn't think it was that big of a deal to talk about."

Anna nodded. "I understand. Just forget about it."

Elsa then changed the subject. "So... you were interested in my underwater grotto yesterday."

"Yeah," Anna replied. "Do you live down there all the time, or do you stay up here with Moana sometimes?"

"It depends," Elsa explained. "I usually stay down there, but sometimes Moana lets me stay with her. I have a big collection of things down there, from the surface world. Would you like to see it sometime?"

Anna's eyes lit up. "Yes, please!"

Elsa smiled. "We'll go in the morning. You'll love it down there."

Anna couldn't help giggling a bit. "Will I float?"

"Of course," Elsa said. "And don't worry about breathing. I know a few siren tricks that can help with that."

Anna smiled. "You know, now that I'm spending more time with you," she remarked, "some of the haze is starting to clear. I'm starting to remember some things."

"What have you remembered so far?"

"Not much. I'm only remembering little details so far. The way your hair looked, the sound of your laugh."

Elsa blushed. "What about the sound of my laugh?"

Anna smiled. "How it sounded so cheerful and free."

Elsa looked away, going a bit red at Anna's statement.

"You okay, Elsa?" Anna asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied. "Just...happy."

"Well," Anna added, looking up at the moon, "I'm happy too, being with you."

xXx

 **Author's note:** Well that ended nicely and cutely. By the way, I'm loving how much support I've gotten for this fic :D. I haven't had this many reviews in such a short time in ages :D. Thank you all so much!


	5. Chapter 4 - Secrets, Best Left Buried

Chapter 4 - Secrets, Best Left Buried

The next morning, Anna was awakened by a strange smell coming from her kitchen, accompanied by a familiar voice humming a cheery tune. She got out of bed and went into the kitchen, and was greeted with the sight of Elsa, still barefoot and wrapped up in her beach towel, cooking seaweed and fish over the stove.

Elsa looked over at her, smiling. "Oh, good morning, Anna. I thought I would come and make you breakfast."

Anna smiled a bit. "What are you cooking there?"

"Steamed seaweed and tuna," Elsa explained. "It's a traditional breakfast for merpeople."

"Tuna?" Anna asked. "I didn't know merpeople ate fish."

"Of course we do," Elsa explained. "Bigger fish eat smaller fish all the time. We only eat certain kinds of fish, though. I mean, you humans don't eat every kind of land creature, do you?"

"No... but I know a few people who might," Anna remarked. She smelled the pot that the fish was being cooked in. "Mmmm, smells good. How did you learn to cook? I mean, how can you cook underwater anyway?"

"Well, we have underwater vents of lava," Elsa said. "We use those the same way humans would use a...stove, right?"

Anna giggled. "Yeah, that's right."

"And Moana showed me how to use one," Elsa went on. "I learned a lot of things from her, just like I did from you."

"She's probably a great teacher," Anna admitted.

"As were you," Elsa replied.

Anna smiled. "So if this is what merpeople eat for breakfast, what do sirens eat?"

Elsa looked down. "L-live...live fish. Sirens will eat anything that crosses their path."

"Even humans?"

She nodded. "To a siren, human flesh is one of the rarest and most delicious kinds of meat."

"Glad you didn't inherit that part of being a siren," Anna remarked.

"Actually...I think I did," Elsa admitted. "At one point, before Moana found me, I was so afraid of being discovered by humans that I stayed in my grotto for days and days, without eating. I was so hungry that the next time I left my grotto, I ate the first fish I saw. I wasn't gentle; I just...ate it alive, like a shark." She looked down, ashamed of herself. "When Moana found me, I was little more than a siren in a mermaid's body. But she helped bring me back to myself. And I swore to myself I'd never lose myself like that again."

Anna swallowed nervously. "Y-you're not gonna...?"

"No. If I hurt you, I'd never be able to forgive myself. As long as I don't go for too long without food, I'll be okay."

"Well, good thing you can make yummy food for us both." Anna sniffed the food again. "Assuming I find this yummy."

"You'll love it, trust me."

Elsa set a plate in front of Anna, then handed her a fork. "Here you go. Tell me what you think."

Anna picked up a piece of tuna, popping it into her mouth and chewing it. "Mmmmm, not bad. Just like having sushi."

Elsa tilted her head to one side. "What's 'soo-shee?'"

"It's a food from a part of the world called Japan," Anna informed her. "It's probably not that far from here, actually."

"I probably couldn't go there anyway," Elsa said. "It's safer if I just stay here on the island."

Anna chewed a bit of the seaweed. "Mmmm, not bad either. Maybe you should work in the restaurant up at the hotel?"

"I'd prefer to just cook for you," Elsa stated.

"I'm just trying to help you make the most out of being here, Elsa."

"I know you are, Anna, but I've been here a lot longer than little old you."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

Elsa ruffled her friend's hair. "Come on, I'm gonna show you my collection today, remember?"

Anna nodded. "I know. I'm really looking forward to it. But we have to wait an hour first."

"What? Why?"

"If humans go swimming less than an hour after eating, we could get cramps. And if we get cramps, well...we might, you know..."

"Drown?"

"Yeah."

"Oh... I didn't think of that."

"Hey, you're learning every day, Elsa."

Elsa nodded. "Yeah, I guess I am. And maybe when we get to my grotto, I can show you some of my magic."

"What can you do with your magic anyway?" Anna asked. "Besides growing legs and erasing memories?"

"Well, like I told you, I can enchant my voice and make it hypnotic."

"Come on, that can't be all you can do," Anna argued.

"Anna, I'm not a sea witch," Elsa reminded her.

"I know. I'm just asking."

xXx

Sometime later, after Anna's food had gone down, she and Elsa stood at the side of the beach, ready to head into the water. Anna had changed into a green two-piece bikini, and her strawberry blonde hair now hung freely.

Elsa took off her beach towel and laid it on the sand. "I'm gonna go in first, okay? The water will change me back into a mermaid."

"Be my guest."

Elsa stepped into the water, a pale blue light swirling around her legs. Soon, they had melded together into her tail, and her feet had turned into fins. She swam out a little further from the shore, then waved to Anna. "Come on in!"

Anna rushed into the water and swam over to Elsa. "Alright, so what do we do now?"

"Now, I make you able to swim with me," Elsa replied. "Tilt your head to one side for me."

Anna did as Elsa told her. "What exactly are you gonna do?"

"Don't worry, this won't hurt," Elsa promised. "Well, it might tickle a bit." She then placed two fingers on Anna's neck and they glowed blue for a brief second."

Anna felt a strange tingling sensation on her neck, then a sudden rush of air on both sides. She gasped. "W-what did you do?"

Elsa giggled. "That's something else I can do with my magic: I gave you gills. Now you can breathe air _and_ water."

"Wait, what?!" Anna exclaimed. "Are these permanent?"

The mermaid shook her head. "No, they'll go away after a few hours. But I can make them last longer, if you'd like."

"Well, let's just see how today goes. Anyway, enough talk. Let's get to swimming!"

"Follow me, then," Elsa said, diving under the water.

Anna followed her, taking a deep breath to get herself used to breathing water. She could see the mermaid just ahead of her, her braid trailing behind her.

Elsa started to swim deep into the water, cornering around coral and rock till she came to a large deep trench in the seabed and swam into it.

Anna followed her, calling out, "Hey, wait for me!"

"Hurry up, slowpoke!" Elsa called back from down in the trench.

Anna kicked her legs and swam as fast as she could.

Elsa turned again into a small opening in the rock face, swimming down a rather tight tunnel.

Anna followed behind her, pulling herself along the rocks with her hands in order to avoid hurting herself.

Eventually, Anna saw a light at the end of the tunnel and found herself in a large undersea cavern. The cavern was vast, filled with all manner of things Elsa had found over the years. Gold coins, lost treasures, discarded items from forgotten ages. And the centrepiece of it all, an intact sailing ship, preserved by the sea water.

Anna stared at the treasure trove, eyes wide and mouth agape. "Sweet Christmas..."

Elsa sat on a small rock, feeling proud of her collection. "Welcome to my world, Anna."

Anna swam up beside her, sitting down. "And you...live here?"

Elsa nodded. "This is where I stay during the day. I kinda found this place by accident when I was little, and I just sort of claimed it as my own."

Anna looked at the shipwreck that was the centrepiece of the whole collection. "Was that there before you came here?"

"Yep," Elsa answered. "It must've just drifted in here after it sunk."

Anna swam all over the ship, seeing skeletons of the crew and the remains of a black flag. "Ohhh! This was a pirate ship!"

"Yeah. But I think you'll want to see my greatest treasure." She motioned Anna over to what looked like a large blue clam sitting on a rock pedestal. She opened it up, then moved aside so Anna could see. Sitting inside the clam, resting on a magenta-coloured pillow, was a large, brownish-yellow nautilus shell.

"Hey, Elsa, isn't that the shell you shared with me the other night?" Anna pointed out.

"No," Elsa said, shaking her head. "This shell is much more important. I could tell you why, but...I think it'd be easier if I just showed you." She picked it up, holding it with two hands. "Are you ready?"

Anna nodded, excitedly. "I was born ready."

Elsa raised the shell to her mouth, her lips parting and pressing against the opening. The shell glowed softly, and an orb of golden light came out of it, travelling into the mermaid's open mouth and down her throat. It glowed again once it reached her Adam's apple, then faded away.

Elsa took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She then began to sing again, in her native tongue. The orb glowed again in her throat, making her voice echo slightly.

The song swirled around Anna, filling her mind with its sweet melody. The human girl's eyes went glassy, and her lips turned up in a contented smile. She was under the spell of that beautiful voice, and she would obey its every command.

Elsa frowned. "Anna... how do you feel?"

"I feel wonderful, Mistress," Anna said in a complacent voice.

"No... please don't call me that," Elsa told her.

"But you are my mistress," Anna said. "I will do anything you ask."

Elsa sighed. "Then it's time to break the spell." She put the shell to her lips again, and the golden light travelled out of her body and back into the shell.

Once it was back inside the shell, the haze cleared from Anna's eyes, and she shook her head. "Whoa...what just happened?"

Elsa put the shell back on its pillow. "This shell holds the enchantment that makes my voice hypnotic," she explained. "I mesmerized you."

"Wait-you mind-controlled me?!"

Elsa looked down. "In a sense, yes."

"Wow…I didn't even feel a thing."

Elsa nodded. "That's what sirens do. They mesmerize their victims with a song, luring them in...and then they devour them." She shuddered. "That's why I left my shell here, where nobody can ever find it. I don't want that kind of power."

"I can see why," Anna remarked. "If just a few words can make me a slave, think what someone else could do with it."

"Exactly. That power is too great for anyone to handle, even me."

"Why don't you just destroy it?" Anna asked.

Elsa looked down. "I can't," she said softly. "That siren shell…it belonged to my mother."

"Oh..." Anna then swam to Elsa and put her hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Elsa."

Elsa shed a few tears. "It's...it's okay."

Anna looked into Elsa's eyes. "Your parents...did they...?"

Elsa nodded, confirming Anna's fears. "It was two years after you left. My parents thought that if we were far enough away from the merpeople and the sirens, we'd be safe."

"What happened?"

"They found us," Elsa replied. "My father was executed for treason...and my mother was torn apart in front of my eyes." The mermaid began to cry softly.

"Oh my God…." Anna felt her heart break at her friend's tale. "Elsa…."

Elsa buried her face in her hands, still crying. "They…they ate my mama…."

Anna embraced the mermaid, stroking her hair. "Shhh," she said softly. "Shhh. They can't hurt you now."

Elsa wiped the tears from her eyes, watching them drift away in the current. "Yes…you're right. They can't hurt me. They're too busy hurting each other."

After a few seconds of silence, Elsa said, "Anna...can I ask a favour?"

"Anything you want, Els," Anna replied.

"Will you let me...hold your hand?"

Anna blushed. "I-I've never held another girl's hand before."

"You don't have to," Elsa told her. "But…it would mean a lot to me."

"I'll do it," Anna agreed. "If it makes you happy, I'll do it." Anna took the mermaid's hand, her fingers intertwined with Elsa's.

Elsa then looked into Anna's eyes and the two of them touched foreheads, Elsa feeling a strong bond between herself and Anna.

"Anna?" Elsa said softly. "Thank you for being my friend."

"I'll always be your friend, Elsa," Anna promised. "I'll be your best friend forever."

xXx

After spending some more time in the grotto together, Anna and Elsa decided it was time for them to head back to the surface. Although Elsa was fine now, Anna knew her friend was still very deeply hurt from having to relive her tragic past.

When they returned to the beach, Elsa sat on the sand for a little while, still in her mermaid form.

"You okay, Elsa?" Anna asked. "If you want me to leave you alone, I understand."

She sighed. "It's been more than ten years since I lost them," she said. "But...it never stops hurting."

"I'm not an expert on this sort of thing," Anna told her. "But I've heard it gets better with time."

"Yeah, I guess so," Elsa said flatly.

Anna knelt down beside the mermaid, her hand on her shoulder. "Just remember, I'm always going to be here for you. I'm not leaving you."

As Elsa's tail transformed back into legs, she looked into Anna's eyes. "I don't want you to promise me that," she said. "Promises are too easy to break."

"I swear it, then," Anna said, smiling a bit. "I swear, I'll always be here."

Elsa looked forward, out at the ocean. "It's so hard to believe all the things that my people have done have happened without even one of your kind noticing until now."

"Yeah," Anna replied, handing Elsa her towel. "Just goes to show you how ignorant humans can be."

Elsa got up, wrapping the towel around herself.

Just then, Anna heard Kristoff's voice calling out for someone. "Olaf? Where are you?"

Anna's eyebrows jumped up. "Quick, Kristoff's coming! Elsa, you gotta hide."

"But why?" Elsa asked. "I've got legs. He won't know anything's off."

"Yeah, but you're not exactly on the guest list of the resort," Anna pointed out. "And besides, this beach is private property."

Elsa looked over Anna's shoulder. "Too late for that now. You'll have to cover for me."

Anna turned around to see Kristoff jogging towards them. "Hey, Anna," he said, panting slightly. "Sorry to bother you. I'm looking for a little kid, about five years old. Short brown hair, blue eyes, name of Olaf Svellson. You seen him?"

Anna shook her head. "Sorry, Kristoff, but I haven't seen anyone. I've been snorkelling all day."

Kristoff groaned. "Aw, shit…Moana's gonna kill me for this."

"Maybe we could help," Anna offered. "It's the least we can do."

"Who's we?" Kristoff wondered.

Elsa waved politely. "Um...hi," she said, a bit shyly.

Kristoff looked at her, smiling. "Who are you?"

"This is Elsa," Anna introduced her. "She's my-"

"I'm a friend of Anna's," Elsa interrupted. "Same as you. She's told me all about you."

"Funny, Anna's never mentioned you before," Kristoff stated, folding his arms. "But what the hell. If you're a friend of Feisty-pants, you're a friend of mine."

"Good," Elsa accepted.

"So where's this kid got to?" Anna asked.

"Haven't a clue," Kristoff answered.

"Well, where did you see him last?" Elsa inquired.

"I didn't see him," Kristoff replied. "Moana just told me to go find the kid after his folks started complaining at the front desk."

"Look, we'll just split up and find this kid," Anna stated. "We'll cover more ground that way... or something like that."

Kristoff nodded. "Sounds good. Anna, you have my phone number, right?"

"Still have it after all these years," Anna replied.

"Good," Kristoff said. "You and Elsa check around the pavilion. I'm gonna look around inside the hotel itself. If you find him, call me. Otherwise, we'll meet up back here in an hour. Sound good?"

"Alright," Anna agreed.

Elsa looked at Anna. "Remind me why you roped me into this?"

"I didn't," Anna replied. "You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "I'll go along anyway. Maybe helping this kid will help me."

"Help you what?" Anna asked as they walked towards the resort's outdoor pavilion.

Elsa shook her head. "Never mind. Let's just get this done with."

"Right," Anna agreed.

The two young women walked through the pavilion, looking around for Olaf. "Hmm," Elsa muttered to herself. "If I were a small human child, where would I be?"

Anna pointed to a series of large, colourful structures set up nearby. "A playground, maybe?"

"Play…ground?" Elsa asked. "I'm not familiar with that. What is it?"

"To a five-year-old kid," Anna explained, "it's paradise. Come on."

"Are you sure? It seems a little too obvious."

"Yeah, but the kid's five," Anna said, leading Elsa towards the playground. "'Obvious' is the name of the game."

"I suppose you have a point."

They stopped on the edge of the playground, a large structure made of wood, metal, and plastic that was designed to resemble a miniaturized version of the resort. "Remember," Anna said, "we're looking for a five-year-old boy with short brown hair and blue eyes."

Elsa nodded. "I know."

Elsa and Anna started to search the area, looking for the young child. After about a minute, Elsa paused, seeing a boy on the swings who matched the description they were looking for. She quickly made her way to Anna and said, "I think I found him. He's over here."

"Good work, Els," Anna replied.

Elsa then walked back over to the boy and knelt down. "Excuse me…are you, Olaf?"

The boy stopped the swing, looking at her with wide eyes. "Yeah," he said.

She smiled. "My name's Elsa," she said kindly. "My friend and I have been looking for you. We're gonna take you back to your parents, okay?"

Olaf shook his head. "My mommy told me not to go anywhere with strangers."

"Well, that's fine," Elsa replied. "Then we'll just stay here until your parents come and get you. How does that sound?"

"Okay." He was still staring at her. After a few seconds, he asked, "Lady, are you an angel?"

Elsa giggled. "I'm a mermaid, actually," she said. "Don't tell anyone, though. It's a secret." She winked.

Kristoff soon ran onto the scene, standing by Anna. "I got here as fast as I could," he stated.

"Good, because we found your missing kid." Anna pointed to Elsa.

Kristoff smiled, watching Elsa talking to Olaf. "Wow. She's good."

Elsa then walked over to them, holding Olaf's hand. "Here you go. He says he's sorry for running off on his own."

"Thanks, Elsa. I don't where Anna met you, but you're a real lifesaver," Kristoff replied. He then looked down at the little boy. "Come on, little fella. Let's get you back to your folks."

"Okay," Olaf replied. He gave Elsa a warm hug. "Bye, lady!"

Elsa giggled again. "Bye, Olaf. Be good, okay?"

"I will." With that, Kristoff took the boy's hand and led him back towards the hotel.

Anna stood at Elsa's side. "I didn't know you were so good with kids."

"Neither did I," Elsa admitted. "Come on, I should get you home too."

"Alright," Anna agreed. "Think you can make some more of that tuna and seaweed for dinner?"

"Sure," Elsa replied. "I should still have some leftover ingredients from this morning. If not, it shouldn't be too hard to go find more."

"Yay." Anna then smirked. "I'll race ya back home!" And with that, she then darted off.

Elsa ran clumsily after her. "No fair! You know I'm not good at running!"

"Then get good, scrub!" Anna called back.

Elsa groaned as she stumbled on her legs. "Anna, I swear to Poseidon."

xXx

 **Author's note:** I think Elsa needs a hug. Like a really big, warm hug.


	6. Chapter 5 - The Te Fiti Festival

Chapter 5 - The Te Fiti Festival

A few days later, Anna was fast asleep in her bed one morning when her cell phone began to ring. She rolled over and grabbed it from her nightstand, seeing that Rapunzel was calling her. "Dammit," she muttered sleepily before answering it. "Rapunzel, it's..." She checked the alarm clock on her nightstand. "...eight in the morning. What do you want?"

"Cass and I were gonna go biking around the island," Rapunzel replied. "Personally, I'm just as excited as you are, but Cass wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Then what are you calling me for?" Anna groaned, yawning.

"She wants you to join in," Rapunzel replied.

"But why, though?"

"My best guess is she wants to get to know you better," Rapunzel explained.

"By wearing me out on a Victorian deathtrap?" Anna assumed.

"Hey, it could be fun."

Anna sighed. "Fine, whatever."

"Can you meet us at Cass's villa in an hour?" Rapunzel suggested.

"Sure," Anna replied. "Just tell Cass I don't have my own bike."

"She's got a spare one, just for you!"

Anna rolled her eyes. "Wonderful."

"I'll see you in an hour, Anna," Rapunzel said.

xXx

A couple of hours later, on a coast road on the other side of the island, Cass and Rapunzel were racing across the tarmac on a pair of professional racing bikes, all decked up in cycling gear. "You alright back there, Anna?" Cass called backwards.

Several feet behind them was Anna, wearing a tank top, shorts, and a bike helmet, panting. "Yeah," she replied sarcastically. "I'm fan-fucking-tastic. Nothing but gumdrops and ice cream over here."

"Sounds yummy," Rapunzel joked.

"How much longer are we doing this?" Anna asked.

"Oh, only another ten, maybe fifteen miles to go," Cass reported. "I thought you were enjoying yourself, Miss Gumdrops and Ice Cream?"

"Don't you know sarcasm when you hear it?!"

"Oh relax, you'll feel so good after this!" Cass insisted, pedaling on ahead.

"Unless 'after this' involves a hot tub and some lemonade, I doubt it," Anna retorted.

"Anna, just think positive," Rapunzel told her. "You might think that this is just tiredness, but it's doing your body a world of good."

"Well, it sure as hell doesn't feel like it," Anna said, pedaling harder in an attempt to keep pace with Rapunzel and Cass.

Eventually, the three of them came to a stop on a cliffside overlooking the ocean. It was a beautiful scenic view, much like the one from Cass's villa.

"Not a bad view, eh?" Cass asked, smiling.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Anna panted, still winded from the ride.

"You think we should have taken her on such a long run?" Rapunzel wondered, feeling a bit concerned for Anna.

"I'll be okay," Anna said. "Just gotta...rest for a bit." She took out a bottle of water, opening it and taking a big swig.

"Do you think you'll have enough energy for tonight?" Cass asked.

"Tonight?" Anna asked. "What's tonight?"

"You mean you don't know?" Rapunzel asked. "There's this big festival here on the island tonight. There's gonna be loads of people there from all over the world."

"It's called the Te Fiti Festival," Cass explained. "I've looked into it. Hundreds of years ago, the original inhabitants of Motunui Island held a festival in honour of Te Fiti, the island goddess. They believed that by dedicating a day to praising her and making offerings of fruit and flowers, they would earn her favour and be ensured a bountiful harvest."

Anna nodded. "Huh. Sounds pretty cool."

"When Motunui was first colonized, they stopped having the festival for a good few decades," Cass went on. "But back around the turn of the century, the Islanders were able to start it up again, as a way of honouring Motunui's ancient culture."

"Plus, it's a great place to take a girl on a date," Rapunzel added, winking in Anna's direction.

Anna raised an eyebrow and frowned. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"I say you take that girl of yours there," Rapunzel answered. "The one you met on the beach a while back."

"Who, Elsa?" Anna asked. "I don't think she does big crowds. Also, she's not my girlfriend!"

"Come on, Anna, if she's not your girlfriend now, she could be," Cass insisted. "I mean, you do like girls don't you?"

"I'm only 18," Anna replied. "I'm not sure who I like yet."

"Then at least try experimenting, girl," Cass insisted. "No harm in trying out your limits to see who you do and don't like."

Anna sighed. "Okay, fine, I'll ask her if she wants to come. Now, will you kindly get off my back about her?"

"We're just trying to help you find your soulmate, Anna," Rapunzel excused.

Anna rolled her eyes. "If Elsa were my soulmate, I'm pretty sure I would've had some kind of sign by now."

Cass looked at her stopwatch. "Okay, I've got some stuff to do for my job right now. Raps, can you see Anna home?"

"Sure thing!" Rapunzel agreed.

Anna looked over at Rapunzel. "Can we take it a little easier now, please?"

"Sure, we'll go nice and slow back home," Rapunzel agreed, as Cass headed to her villa.

"Thank you," Anna accepted and she and Rapunzel began to set off for the resort, at a much slower pace.

xXx

After taking a long shower to relax her tired muscles, Anna threw on shorts and a T-shirt and wandered out to the secret spot where she had first found Elsa. She vaguely remembered coming to this spot when she was younger, but the memories were still hazy.

As luck would have it, Elsa was there, relaxing her fins by the water's edge, taking in the fresh air. Anna knew Elsa hadn't been great the past few days, feeling a bit emotionally down. Anna had a strange feeling that it was because Elsa had confessed what had happened to her family the day they went to the grotto, but part of her knew there was something more. Thankfully, Anna could see a smile on Elsa's face, feeling relieved that her new friend was happy right now.

As Anna approached the secret spot, she said, as loudly as she dared, "Elsa, it's me."

Elsa smiled. "Oh, hi, Anna."

"Why are you out here like this during the day? People could see you."

"I'll be okay. Everyone's busy getting ready," Elsa replied. "Today's the day of the Te Fiti Festival, isn't it?"

"Um...yeah," Anna said, slightly taken aback. "How did you know?"

"Moana told me about it once," the mermaid explained. "It's the only time when it's safe for me to come out during the day."

"Ah," Anna acknowledged. "I get it." She then looked at the scales on Elsa's fin, seeing them glow in the summer sun. "Your scales look very beautiful in the light."

Elsa smiled. "I could say the same thing about your eyes."

Anna blushed, rubbing the back of her head. "So... you just chilling here?"

"Pretty much," Elsa responded. "It's not like I have anything better to do."

Anna blushed. "Well, um...I might...have an idea..."

The mermaid raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Well, since the festival is tonight," Anna said, hoping she sounded less nervous than she felt, "I was wondering if, um...maybe you...wanted to, er, go...with me...?"

Elsa's eyes widened with excitement. "Anna... is this what I think it is?"

"Um...I guess so," Anna replied.

Elsa jumped up and took Anna's hands in her own. "Oh, Anna, I'd love to! But…I don't have any human clothes."

Anna went red, looking down at the wet palms holding her hands. "I-I can find you some."

Elsa's eyes lit up. "Really? Y-you'd do that for me?"

Anna smiled. "Of course. What are friends for?"

The mermaid beamed like the sun itself. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Elsa," Anna replied. "We can go out shopping together later, if you want."

"Shaoping?" Elsa tried to pronounce the word.

Anna giggled. "You'll see later on."

xXx

A while later, Anna and Elsa were browsing the hotel shop for clothes for Elsa to wear to the festival. Elsa had borrowed some of Anna's clothes for now, but it was plain to see that they were a bit too small for the mermaid.

Elsa was grinning like a child at all of the clothes on display. "Wow," she said to Anna. "I didn't know humans had so many things they could wear!"

"Trust me, this shop doesn't cover the half of it," Anna remarked. "So, do you see anything that you like?"

Elsa kept looking around, eventually picking out a pale green sarong and a matching crop top. "I like these a lot," she said. "The colour looks like the sun reflecting on the ocean."

Anna smiled. "Yeah, they look nice. But you'll need shoes to go with them."

Elsa looked confused for a brief moment, then nodded. "Yes, I know what you mean."

"Oh and by the way, you're paying for them," Anna told her.

"Oh! Well then, it's a good thing I have these." Elsa then opened her hand to reveal three gold coins, taken from one of her scavenging trips. "Humans pay with these, right?"

Anna looked at the coins. "Elsa, people stopped using coins like these over 200 years ago."

Elsa groaned. "Aw, shark bait."

"Don't worry," Anna assured her. "I'm sure we can...work something out."

Elsa thought for a moment. "Maybe if you pay for the clothes," she suggested, "and then I can give you some of these coins?"

"How much are they worth?" Anna asked.

Elsa shrugged. "No idea. I know they must be valuable, though, considering how Moana reacted when I showed her one."

"Well, alright then," Anna agreed. "Come on, let's take this stuff to the fitting room. Can't have you going to this party with clothes that don't fit, right?"

"The clothes I've got on right now don't fit much either," Elsa admitted. "But I don't mind."

Anna giggled. "Well, you're taller than I am, so..."

Elsa then picked up a pair of sandals, looking at them confusedly. "These are weird shoes. Your toes must feel weird wearing these."

Anna laughed. "Elsa, you're such a dork sometimes. And I love you for it."

Elsa then blushed bright red.

The two girls headed towards the fitting rooms, but while Elsa walked in, Anna hung back. Elsa turned around, confused. "Aren't you coming with me?"

Anna shook her head. "No, I'll just wait for you out here."

"Alright," the mermaid replied uncertainty, walking into a fitting room and closing the door.

Anna then sat on a chair outside, hoping Elsa wouldn't have too much trouble with her new clothes.

After a few minutes, Anna heard Elsa's voice: "Anna? Could you please come here for a second?"

Anna walked over to the door of Elsa's fitting room. "What's up, Elsa?"

"Could you come in here, please?" Elsa requested. "I can't quite reach to fasten my top."

Anna flushed. "Y-you want me to fasten your top?"

"Yes, please," Elsa answered. "I-if it's not too much trouble, I mean."

Anna closed her eyes. _It's alright, Anna,_ she thought. _It's just a top. On Elsa's body._

She opened the door to the fitting room and stepped inside. "Okay, Elsa, I'm here..." Her voice trailed off. Elsa was standing barefoot before her, wearing the sarong and top that she'd picked out. But what Anna hadn't anticipated was just how...beautiful the mermaid girl looked.

Elsa smiled. "Okay. Thanks for your help, by the way. It's just so hard to reach the clasp in the back there."

Anna gulped. "Um... sure, I'll get it for you." As Anna grabbed the ends of the clasp on Elsa's top, her fingertips brushed against the smooth, creamy skin on the mermaid's back. It was soft to the touch, and slightly moist from being in the ocean. Anna's cheeks were as red as a tomato by this point.

"Are you okay, Anna?" Elsa then asked her. "Your cheeks are red."

"I'm fine," she replied quickly. "It's just...a little warmer in here than I expected."

"Are you sure?" Elsa asked her. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable again."

"No, no, Elsa, it's fine. I'm fine, you're fine, and gorgeous…wait, what?" Anna covered her mouth.

Elsa blushed as well. "I'm...what?" she asked.

Anna looked away. "I…I need to go…powder my nose," she stuttered. _Fuck me_ , she thought. She quickly fixed Elsa's top, then left the fitting room and walked quickly to the nearest bathroom, locking the door and looking at herself in the mirror. "What the hell was that?" she asked herself. "I don't even like Elsa like that." But as she looked into her reflection's eyes, her mind filled with thoughts of Elsa. And at the centre of those thoughts was one word: _...Right?_

Anna then groaned. "If there is a God in heaven, please let him or her make sure tonight doesn't go badly."

She walked back into the store, knocking on the door of Elsa's fitting room. "Elsa? Are you ready?"

"Almost," Elsa's voice called back, sounding slightly annoyed. "I'm just...trying to figure out...how to put...these stupid shoes on."

Anna sighed. "Let me help. I don't want you hurting yourself."

Elsa sighed. "Yes, I think that'd be best."

xXx

That evening, as the sun was beginning to set, Anna and Elsa left Anna's condo and headed for her car to go to the festival. As they walked towards the car, Elsa stopped, staring at it with wide, fearful eyes. "Anna...what's that thing?"

Anna giggled. "Calm down, it's just my car. I guess you've never seen one before, huh?"

Elsa shook her head. "You and Moana both told me about them, but...I didn't think they'd look so...scary."

"Elsa, this is a Fiat. It's the least scary looking car in the world," Anna pointed out. "If it were a Humvee or one of those really big Camaros, then maybe."

Elsa took a breath, calming down. "Sorry. I guess my father was right: you fear what you don't understand."

Anna opened the door for her. "Come on, just sit down and relax. I'll do the driving."

"D-driving?"

Anna smiled. "I'll explain on the way."

Elsa gently got into the car, twiddling her fingers nervously.

Anna buckled Elsa's seatbelt, then her own. "Safety first," she explained. She put the key in the ignition and started the car.

As the engine turned over, Elsa jumped a bit. "Meep!"

Anna giggled. "It's okay, Elsa, it's just the car." Anna drove to the beach on the other side of the island where the festival was being held. When they arrived, they saw the party was in full swing.

Elsa's jaw dropped. "Mother of Poseidon...it's so..."

"Crazy? Hyper?" Anna suggested.

"So...alive," Elsa finished.

There were people all over the place, a live band performing, and down on the sand, a huge bonfire was blazing brightly. It was like a combination of the Mardi Gras and a luau.

Anna grinned. "Come on, let's get down there!"

The two jumped out of the car and headed towards the party, Elsa sticking close to Anna so she wouldn't get lost amid the sea of people. "After Moana told me about this, I used to watch it from the ocean," Elsa said. "I never thought I'd get to actually be a part of it."

"I know!" Anna exclaimed. "Isn't it awesome?!"

"It's really busy," Elsa replied. "Are all human festivals like this?"

"Not all of them," Anna informed her. "Well, I don't really know. I'm not much of a party girl."

"Hey, Anna!" a familiar voice called out from behind them. Anna did a double-take and saw Cass and Rapunzel coming towards them. The two women were holding hands, and carrying margaritas with their free hands.

"Oh, hey guys," she greeted them.

"Hey yourself," Cass replied. She then looked at Elsa and smiled. "So this is the famous Elsa? I must admit, Anna, you bagged a real cutie."

Anna blushed. "How many times do I have to tell you: _she isn't my girlfriend!"_

Elsa just giggled. "Why didn't you tell me you had made some new friends, Anna?"

"Wait, she didn't tell you about me?" Rapunzel asked, wide-eyed.

"Not that I can remember," Elsa replied. "Hopefully she didn't tell you too much about me."

"She didn't tell us anything but your name," Cass stated.

"And that you worked at the resort," Rapunzel added.

"I work at the resort?" Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Elsa, remember?" Anna said, glaring at her. "That's how I met you."

Elsa nodded subtly, then said, "Oh, right! How could I forget? Please, forgive me: my memory isn't the best."

Anna let out a soft sigh of relief. _Crisis averted,_ she thought.

"You girls thirsty?" Cass wondered. "The drinks here are so good."

"No thanks," Anna replied. "I'm not old enough for alcohol anyway."

Elsa looked confused, but didn't say anything.

"Suit yourself," Cass accepted.

Elsa pulled Anna aside for a moment. "Question," she said in a low voice. "What's 'alka-hall?'"

"Simply put, nothing you'd want," Anna explained. "Trust me, I had an uncle who was a functioning alcoholic. You do NOT want it."

"I'll take your word for it," Elsa replied. She then returned her attention to Cass and Rapunzel. "I don't think I know your names," she said politely.

"I'm Cass, and this is my beautiful girlfriend Rapunzel," Cass introduced herself and Rapunzel.

"What about your...last names?" Elsa inquired. "I'm just curious. Mine is..." She shot Anna a 'help me' look.

Anna thought for a second, then said, "Clearsong. Elsa Clearsong."

"Oh, mine is Moore," Rapunzel stated. "And Cass's is Benson."

"It's nice to meet you both," Elsa said with a smile.

Cass looked Elsa up and down for a moment. "You're pretty cute. Where are you from, Elsa?"

Elsa froze, looking at Anna with panic-filled eyes. "She's from here," Anna said quickly. "Her parents moved here from...Norway, wasn't it?"

Elsa nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"I knew she was European!" Rapunzel declared. "You owe me ten bucks, Cass!"

"Wait, what?!" Cass exclaimed. "We didn't bet on this."

"Did too!" Rapunzel retorted. "I said, 'Ten bucks says she's from Europe.' To which you replied, _and I quote:_ 'You're on.'"

Cass rolled her eyes. "Curse you and your photographic memory."

Rapunzel gave Cass a kiss. "How about this: you buy all of my drinks tonight, and I'll forget about this little bet."

"Deal," Cass replied. "And maybe we should get Elsa a drink while we're at it."

Anna started to shake her head, trying to get Elsa to not go through with it.

Elsa looked at her, then at Cass. "Well..." she said uncertainly. "I...I'm not sure if I should."

"Aw, C'mon, Elsa!" Cass teased. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

The mermaid sighed. "Can I talk it over with Anna first, please?"

"Sure, go ahead," Rapunzel agreed.

Elsa took Anna to one side and whispered. "Anna, what should I do?"

"Don't do it," Anna told her. "If you do, one of two things will happen. One, you'll get so drunk you cause a scene, or two, you die."

Elsa's eyes widened. "W-why would I die?"

"I don't know, maybe alcohol is like some kind of poison to you," Anna explained.

Elsa looked back at Cass and Rapunzel. "Anna, I want to fit in. I don't want them to get suspicious of me."

Anna sighed. "Fine, go ahead. But promise me one thing, okay? Promise that if you start feeling sick, you'll stop drinking and come find me so I can take you home. Deal?"

Elsa nodded. "Deal."

xXx

 _Two hours later_

"And then the octopus said to the starfish, 'Sorry, I only got eight arms!'" Elsa cackled as she finished another drink.

Cass and Rapunzel laughed madly. "God, Elsa, you're-you're fuckin' hilarious, you know that?" Rapunzel slurred.

"And you ain't a lightweight, either!" Cass added. "You been drinking like a fish, girl!"

Elsa giggled as the bartender poured her another drink, which she quickly downed. "You don't know the half of it."

Anna was on a chair nearby, her face in her hands. "Jesus. H. Christ. On. A. Bike."

Elsa turned over to Anna and smiled. "Awww, is my little monkey all sad?"

"Elsa, haven't you had enough to drink?" Anna asked, in a rather cold tone.

Elsa shrugged. "You told me to stop if I felt sick. I don't."

Cass and Rapunzel both got up, grabbing Elsa and Anna. "H-Hey, wait!" Anna exclaimed as Rapunzel grabbed her hand.

"C'mon," Cass belched. "W-w-we're goin' down to the beach. Gonna check out that bonfire."

Anna sighed. "Fine, lead on."

"Let's go party like they do in Atlantis!" Elsa cried out in joy.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Just what I needed," she muttered under her breath. "A drunk mermaid."

The four girls humbled down to the bonfire, where several of the natives had begun their ritual dance, and the party guests had joined in the fun.

As the mid-tempo tropical beat boomed out of the speakers, Elsa felt a strange wave of nostalgia wash over her. This music was remarkably similar to the stuff that her father had played for her when she was young. She smiled, remembering how her mother had taught her to dance. "You don't need legs to dance, _ma petite,"_ she had said.

As if on instinct, Elsa began to groove with the music, her arms swaying and undulating in a graceful and elegant fashion.

Anna then saw Elsa, slowly becoming mesmerized in her movements. She walked closer to her and started to dance as well, her cheeks blushing pink.

"You like my dancing?" Elsa asked, cutely.

"It's...beautiful," Anna replied. "It's like water."

"That's the idea," Elsa said with a wink.

Anna blushed deeply.

Elsa reached out and held Anna's hands, smiling as they continued moving to the music.

Anna smiled back, gazing into Elsa's cool blue eyes. While she wasn't sure of her feelings towards the young mermaid, she knew that this was a festival she'd never forget. Even after the bonfire had started to die out, the two of them were still there on the sand, dancing the night away.

xXx

 **Author's note:** Oh my, it seems our resident feisty pants is getting a crush ;) Also, drunk Elsa... IS FUNNY!  
(I don't know what to say with these anymore)


	7. Chapter 6 - Kristoff The Fixer-Upper

Chapter 6 - Kristoff The Fixer-Upper

The next morning, after an evening that seemed like it had lasted an eternity, Anna awoke on the couch in her condo, having clearly passed out the night before. As the memories faded into her mind, she groaned. "Goddammit Elsa, why did you get drunk?"

Anna turned her head to the side and saw the blonde mermaid lying on the couch opposite her, her legs replaced by her tail. Elsa herself was still asleep, eyes shut and mouth slightly open, a slight drooling from her lip.

Anna sighed. "You're lucky I like you," she muttered, covering her with a blanket.

Elsa suddenly snorted a little, before her eyelids fluttered open. "Oh... Hey..."

Anna smirked. "Hey yourself, Fish Girl."

Elsa slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Why does my head hurt...?"

"You're dehydrated from all the drinking you did last night," Anna explained. "It's called a hangover."

Elsa lifted the blanket, her eyes widening slightly when she saw that her tail was back. "Please tell me I didn't mess up those clothes you bought for me when I changed back."

"No," Anna told her. "I managed to strip you before your magic wore off... and trust me, it was harder than it sounds."

"That spell doesn't wear off, Anna," Elsa explained. "I think that alka-hall stuff just made me lose my concentration."

"Don't you remember any of it?" Anna asked.

Elsa rubbed her temples. "I remember dancing with you on the beach," she said. "And I remember you bringing me back here. Everything after that is just...kind of a blur."

Anna rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I let you get drunk."

"I can't believe I wanted to get drunk in the first place," Elsa added. "God, I'm glad merpeople don't have anything like that." The mermaid looked down. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you when you said I shouldn't drink that stuff."

"It's okay, Elsie," Anna said. "I'm not mad at you."

Elsa smiled a bit. "Thanks, Anna." She closed her eyes, her fin transforming into legs again. "Do you mind if I go back to the ocean for a little while? I think it might help me clear my head a bit."

"Go right ahead," Anna accepted. "Just... don't hurt yourself while swimming, okay? You're probably still a little disoriented."

Elsa got up, her knees wobbling slightly. "It's not the swimming I'm worried about," she said.

Anna sighed. "Come on, I'll help you to the water." She got up and held Elsa in her arms. "Now, follow my lead." She then started to help Elsa hobble out of the condo.

Elsa blushed furiously. "Thank you, Anna. I think this hangover thing might be messing with my balance."

Anna walked Elsa down to the beach. "There we go."

Elsa started walking towards the water, holding her arms out. She stumbled over her own feet for a moment, but managed to keep her balance. "Anna, the next time I think about drinking that alka-hall stuff? STOP ME."

Anna giggled. "I will."

Elsa finally got into the water, turning back into a mermaid. She dove under for several seconds, then came back up. "Ahh, that's a little better."

Anna took off her top and stripped down to her underwear. "Let me join you!" She then rushed into the water as well, swimming by Elsa.

Elsa giggled. "Want me to give you gills again?"

"Nah, I'd rather my head doesn't get messed up, thanks," Anna responded, chuckling.

"Aw, C'mon," the mermaid teased. "We can swim around together. There's a really pretty coral reef not far from here."

Anna laughed. "Elsa, we don't have to spend all our time together, you know."

Elsa sighed. "I know. I guess I just wanna make up for all of the time after you left."

"It's okay, we've made up enough time for now... but maybe we could hang out later if you like?" Anna then suggested.

"Okay," Elsa replied, giving Anna a hug.

Anna blushed at Elsa's embrace. "Wow... didn't know you were a hugger."

"I'm not," Elsa replied. "But...I just couldn't help it."

Anna hugged her back tightly.

Elsa smiled. "You're amazing, Anna," she said softly.

"Says the magic mermaid," Anna remarked.

"You have magic too," Elsa said with a smile. "Sure, you can't grow a tail like I can. But you can make people feel happy just by being you."

Anna blushed. "I don't think that's magic. I'm just always nice to people that's all."

"Well, it's magic to me," the mermaid giggled.

Anna smiled. "I'm gonna head back and see how Kristoff is doing these days," she told her. "See you later, Elsa. Enjoy checking out that coral reef."

"I will," she replied. "Tell Kristoff I said hello!"

"I will!"

As Elsa swam into the water. Anna headed back onto dry land. As she walked back up the beach to put her clothes back on, she started to think about Elsa. For the past few days, Elsa had become one of the best friends she had ever had, and Anna was a girl who had a lot of besties in her life. But there was something so different about Elsa. Something that she couldn't put her finger on. Maybe it was how Anna had felt after seeing Elsa in that changing room, how the mermaid's body had looked in that sarong.

Anna's cheeks went red. What was this feeling she had for Elsa? Anna had considered the possibility that it was just nothing, but still, …she was feeling very drawn to her. Anna looked over at the ocean one final time before she walked into her condo, seeing that Elsa had already gone.

xXx

A few minutes later, Anna headed towards the main hotel, hoping to find Kristoff.

Kristoff was just in the car park, having just finished his last valet for the day. As Anna approached him, he smiled. "Hey, Feisty-pants."

"Hey, Kris," she replied with a wave.

"How's the vacation been going so far?"

"Pretty fine. I've mostly just been chilling."

"With that new friend of yours, I assume?"

"Elsa? Oh yeah, I've been hanging out with her a lot."

Kristoff smiled. "You know, there was a time when I thought you'd never be friends with another girl. How you've changed."

Anna blushed. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. You see, I think I might...have a crush on her."

His eyes widened. "Woah... Anna, I knew you were bisexual and all, but... you've never had an actual crush on a girl."

"I know, I know, it's weird and all," Anna told him.

"So, what exactly do you want me to do?" he asked.

"Well... didn't everyone call you 'The Fixer-Upper' back at school?" Anna reminded him. Back in their high school days, Kristoff was known as a bit of a love guru, helping others with their relationships and such.

"Oh, I get it," he said. "You're looking for advice, huh?"

"Yeah, that's it," Anna stated.

"Well, what kind of advice?"

"Well... how to talk to her about it for one thing..." Anna said. "I'm a clueless dork."

"Come up to my apartment," Kristoff told her. "I'll tell you all about it over a nice cold drink."

They went over to Kristoff's apartment, a moderately-sized one-bedroom setup on the opposite side of the resort. "Not bad," Anna said as they walked inside. "Kinda small, though."

"Eh, it suits me fine," Kristoff replied nonchalantly.

Anna then jumped onto the bed, and crossed her legs. "So, Mr. Love Expert, what's my first lesson?"

"Alright, my advising skills are a bit rusty," Kristoff admitted. "But I think I can do this. So... first things first, Elsa is the first girl you've been attracted to, yes?"

Anna nodded. "Yeah. She's just...she's something else, Kristoff."

"Go on, what's this something else?" Kristoff asked. "If I can get a sense of the source of your feelings for her, I can better help you."

Anna exhaled. "Well, we first met when we were both really little. Here at this resort, in fact. I don't remember much about what she was like back then, though."

"You met her years ago?" Kristoff wondered. "And you've... never mentioned her before?"

"Hey, I was four years old," Anna excused.

"Alright, alright, so you met her years ago, and you've recently met her again," Kristoff stated. "What's different now than when you first met her?"

"I'm older, I guess," Anna admitted. "Sorry, I'm not good with this deep philosophy stuff."

"Hey, no worries," Kristoff said in a jovial tone. "Just tell me what you think of her. It'll give me an idea of just how strong this crush of yours is."

"Well, she's cute-no, beautiful. Her body is just so divine," Anna began. "She's really kind and sweet to me, always being there and such. She's super fun to be around, too; she has like the cutest laugh ever. But then she's so sad sometimes...she lost her parents years ago, and she seems so lonely...and I just wanna be there for her and keep her safe."

Kristoff nodded. "Okay, I'm with you so far. Any other thoughts?"

Anna gulped. "Well... she's very close to me and very, very loving towards me. I don't know if that means she likes me back or not."

"You said you forgot a lot about her after you guys parted ways the first time," Kristoff mused. "Do you know if she forgot anything about you?"

Anna shook her head. "No, she remembered me like it was yesterday."

Kristoff rubbed his chin. "Well, that could just be because she has a better memory than you do. In any case, it's pretty clear that whatever feelings you have for Elsa are definitely real."

"So...how do I act on them?" Anna asked.

"Well, how good is your relationship so far?" Kristoff asked her.

"We're friends, I guess," Anna said. "We've spent a lot of time together, reconnecting and stuff."

"When was the last time you talked to her?"

"This morning, at the beach. We were mostly talking about the festival last night."

"Ah, I hear a lot of folks went to that," Kristoff stated. "I didn't. Not much of a party guy."

"So what's next?" Anna inquired.

"Well, firstly, you need to talk to Elsa about this."

"You mean...tell her how I feel?"

"That's the general idea, Feisty-pants," Kristoff confirmed.

Anna nodded. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. But how should I do it?"

"It's more of a 'when' than a 'how,'" Kristoff informed her. "See, the key is to tell her this stuff when she's happy and such. I mean, would you want all this emotional baggage shoved down your throat when you were feeling down?"

"That's a good point actually," Anna agreed.

"Take her out someplace romantic. Even the beach at sunset would work. And once you're out there, tell her how you feel."

"Got it," Anna replied. "Thanks, Kristoff."

"Just follow my advice, and things will be smooth sailing," Kristoff told her.

As Kristoff finished his sentence, Anna's phone then buzzed. She picked it up, seeing that she had a text from Rapunzel.

 **Rapunzel: Hey, Anna! You and Elsa recovered from the festival?**

"Who is it?" Kristoff wondered.

"My _other_ new friend," Anna told him.

"Oh, Rapunzel," Kristoff accepted. "Well, I gotta go take out the trash so I'll leave you to it."

As Kristoff headed to empty his bin, Anna typed on her phone.

 **Anna: Hey, Punzie. I managed to recover, but Elsa was really hungover this morning. How are you holding up?**

 **Rapunzel: Cass and I slept like babies, so we woke up just fine.**

 **Anna: Wait, you didn't get hung over?**

 **Rapunzel: Oh, we did, big-time. We just slept it off.**

 **Rapunzel: Anyway, I was just wondering if you and Elsa would like to go out with us again.**

 **Anna: Where would we be going?**

 **Rapunzel: Just out for dinner, at this Italian place Cass likes.**

 **Anna: I'm down. I just need to check with Elsa.**

 **Rapunzel: Great! We'll come pick you from the resort around 7-ish.**

 **Anna: Slow your roll there, Punz. Like I said, I need to check with Elsa first, and see if she wants to come.**

 **Rapunzel: She'll say yes anyway. I know what girls like her like. And I am a girl after all?**

 **Anna: I hate it when people make sense.**

 **Rapunzel: See you tonight, Anna.**

 **Anna: Yeah, yeah. Give Cass a hug for me, will ya?**

 **Rapunzel: Hehe, she's currently snuggling me actually. She's such a spoon and I love her ❤**

 **Anna: I can see why. ;)**

Anna then closed up the conversation with Rapunzel and tapped Elsa's messaging window.

 **Anna: Hey Elsa. Are you there?**

There was no response for several seconds, but Elsa soon replied.

 **Elsa: I didn't know you could send me a message first. I thought I always had to send the first one before you could send one to me.**

 **Anna: I'll give you a lesson on texting sometime, fish girl. Anyway, I just came to let you know Punzie just asked if we would like to go out with her again.**

 **Elsa: That sounds fun. Just make sure I don't drink any of that stuff I had last night, okay?**

 **Anna: I'm sure that the place we're going to doesn't have alcohol, Elsa. So you'll be fine.**

 **Elsa: Thank Poseidon.**

 **Anna: By the way Elsa, there's something I wanna say.**

 **Elsa: What is it?**

Anna stared at her phone screen for several seconds, unsure of what to say. She could tell Elsa the truth now...but it just didn't feel right.

 **Anna: Never mind. I'll tell you later.**

 **Elsa: Okay ^_^**

 **Anna: Did you just use an emoji?**

 **Elsa: Is that what these little faces are called? There's so many of them.**

 **Anna: Yeah. I'll show you some of them later.**

 **Elsa: Should I wear the clothes I bought yesterday?**

 **Anna: Nah, just borrow mine again. It's not like it's gonna be super fancy.**

 **Elsa: Okay, but can I wear that thing around my waist still? I kinda liked it.**

 **Anna: You mean the sarong? Yeah, I guess you could.**

 **Elsa: Thank you, Anna. ❤**

Anna blushed.

 **Anna: Why the heart?**

 **Elsa: Moana told me hearts are used to show how much you like someone. Well, I ❤ you Anna. I like you very much.**

 **Anna: I ❤ you too, Elsa.**

 _Why did I just do that?!_ Anna thought, her mind in a panic. _This isn't the time or the place!_ Anna just turned off her phone and started breathing heavily.

Kristoff then re-entered the apartment, having finished his chores. "Hey, Anna, you okay?" he asked. "Your face looks red."

"No, no, I'm fine," Anna lied. "Great talk, Kristoff. I gotta jet now!"

As Anna darted away, Kristoff rolled his eyes. "Anna Baker, you are weird sometimes."

xXx

That evening, Elsa and Anna waited outside the hotel lobby for Rapunzel and Cass. Anna had been avoiding eye contact with Elsa, as she was still embarrassed at how their text conversation earlier had gone.

Elsa smiled at Anna, reaching out to hold her hand. "You seem stressed, Anna," she told her. "It's a beautiful evening. You should relax."

Anna blushed. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry."

Soon, a large black SUV pulled up in front of them, and the window rolled down, revealing Rapunzel, wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. "You Elsa and Anna?"

"Who wants to know?" Anna asked, folding her arms, with a playful smirk.

"Rapunzel Moore, FBI. We'd like to ask you a few questions. If you would please step into the car?"

Elsa looked at Anna, confused. "FBI?" she whispered.

Anna giggled. "Later. Get in."

Anna and Elsa climbed into the back of the SUV and Rapunzel turned around, taking off the shades and smiling. "HEY, GIRLS!" she cheered.

"Hi, Rapunzel!" Elsa replied cheerily.

"You look snazzy, as you did last night," Rapunzel admitted. "Seriously, that sarong looks so good on you."

Anna frowned a bit at Rapunzel, biting her lip to hold back a mean comment.

"Thank you," Elsa said. "I really do love this saarong."

"It's just sarong," Anna corrected her.

They drove out to the Italian restaurant, a local place called Linguini's. Rapunzel and Cass got out, opening the doors for Elsa and Anna. "We're here, ladies," Cass stated.

The two got out, and Elsa smiled. "I've never had Italian food before," she commented. "Is it good?"

"Ehhh, depends on the food," Anna explained. "I just stick to pizza."

"Oh, Moana's shared some of that with me," Elsa admitted. "It always went soggy when I brought it home though."

"Soggy?" Cass asked. "It must not have been very good pizza, then."

"Elsa lives...in a very wet place," Anna quickly explained.

"She must live right on the beach," Rapunzel remarked. "Those places can get slammed by the waves sometimes."

Elsa nodded quickly. "Yes, exactly. You might say my house looks like a shipwreck."

"How come you haven't moved?" Cass wondered. "I mean, the houses here aren't cheap, but wouldn't you wanna be somewhere drier?"

"I'm just used to it," Elsa explained. "I'm no stranger to the water."

As the four of them walked inside, Anna sniffed the air. "Mmmm, fresh ketchup. Such a good smell."

Elsa sniffed as well, her eyes widening. "Holy catfish," she muttered. "I don't know what that smell is, but it's delicious!"

A waiter soon showed the girls to their table, and Anna started checking out the menu. "Elsa, look at this food," she suggested to her mermaid friend. "You're gonna love it."

Elsa looked at the menu, reading some of the food names aloud. "La-sag-na...spag-het-tee...these foods have weird names."

"It's in Italian, you water cutie."

"Water cutie?" Rapunzel's eyebrows perked up. "Awwww! Cass, Anna just gave Elsa a pet name."

Cass smirked. "Anna and Elsa, sitting in a tree..." she teased.

"Cass, stop it," Anna warned her. "Or you and Punzie will both end up covered in ketchup."

Elsa giggled. "She'll do it. Don't cross her."

Once they had ordered their food, Elsa reached over in an attempt to hold Anna's hand.

Anna looked down and saw Elsa's hand moving closer to her. "Hey, what's going on here?"

Elsa pulled her hand back. "Sorry. It's just…I wanted to hold your hand."

"Raps, this is too cute," Cass admitted. "Go on, Anna. Elsa doesn't look like she'll bite."

Anna blushed, taking Elsa's hand.

Elsa smiled and held Anna's hand with both of her own, her eyes half-closing and gazing at Anna adoringly.

Anna smiled at the mermaid. If she hadn't been sure of her feelings before, she definitely was now.

xXx

 **Author's note:** Awwww, Anna sent Elsie a love heart. And they went out on a date. I have a feeling things are going to get... intimate for them soon. See you next time!


	8. Chapter 7 - My Heart Is Yours

Chapter 7 - My Heart Is Yours

The next morning, Anna was pacing back and forth in her bedroom, arguing with herself. After last night's double date, Anna's mind had been thrown for a huge loop, and now she was second-guessing everything. "What am I gonna do?" she muttered. "How am I gonna tell Elsa how I feel? How do I even know if what I'm feeling is real?"

Every thought she had about the beautiful mermaid would always be argued with by another thought. To say she was in conflict was an understatement.

"Guuughhh!" Anna growled in frustration as she buried herself on her bed. She had been on the island for just over nine days now.

She sighed, rolling over and staring at the ceiling. All of the conflicts in her mind boiled down to one simple question. "Am I...in love with her?" she wondered aloud.

She thought she had answered this question yesterday with Kristoff, but the text conversation she had with Elsa, as well as their hand-holding at dinner, had blurred things a lot for the young girl. She didn't know what she was going to do anymore. "God, I hate this."

Just then, Anna smelled something coming from her kitchen, and heard Elsa humming. She sighed, getting out of bed. "She must be cooking for me again."

Anna poked her head out of the bedroom door, seeing Elsa downstairs singing to herself in her native mermaid tongue as she cooked up something on the grill.

"Elsa?" she called. "What are you doing?"

Elsa looked up and smiled. "Oh, Anna! I'm making lunch for us. Grilled eel wrapped in kelp, with a side of krill."

Anna walked downstairs. "Sounds delicious as ever." She sniffed again. "And smells delicious too."

"You really seem to appreciate my cooking," the mermaid remarked.

"Well, I've always been a fan of food," Anna remarked. "I like to try new foods from different places. By the way, random question: have you ever had chocolate?"

Elsa nodded, a nostalgic smile on her face. "Yes. You once brought me some, when we were young. It was delicious."

"What kind?" Anna asked.

"I think it was called white chocolate," Elsa replied. "You said it looked like the colour of my hair."

Anna thought for a few moments. "Oh yeah, I think I remember that now."

Elsa giggled. "You ate so much of it, you made the strangest noise...and then this weird gunk came out of your mouth."

Anna blushed furiously. "Oh, God. I threw up in front of you?!"

"It's alright," Elsa told her. "I helped clean you up."

Anna sighed. "Well, I'm glad for that."

Elsa smiled at her young friend. "By the way, Anna, there's something I want us to do today, if that's alright with you."

"What is it?" Anna asked.

"Well, do you remember how I wanted to take you to that coral reef yesterday?"

Anna nodded. "What about it?"

"I was hoping maybe we could go there today."

"Well, I don't really fancy another night with Punzie, so alright. I'll go there with you."

Elsa's face beamed happily. "Great! We'll go straight after your food goes down."

Anna smiled. "Thanks for cooking again, by the way."

Elsa grinned. "I hope to do it for you every day when you're here."

xXx

After Anna's food had gone down, Elsa led her out of the condo in a very excited manner. She had clearly been wanting to take Anna to this coral reef for some time. "Come on, Anna!" she called, running rather clumsily to the water.

Anna followed behind her, wearing the bikini she had worn when Elsa had taken her to the grotto. "I'm coming, Elsa."

Elsa descended into the water, changing her legs back to fins. She closed her eyes and made a little quiet squee from her mouth. _I can't believe I'm going to do this with her._

Anna couldn't help giggling. "Well, don't leave me high and dry here."

Elsa quickly turned around, composing herself. "Oh sorry. I was just a bit lost in the moment." She held out her hands. "Come here, Anna. I'll put your gills on you and we'll get going."

Anna swam closer to Elsa. "Do your thing."

Elsa cupped the sides of Anna's neck, forming gills on her skin with her siren magic.

Anna smiled, diving under the water. She still couldn't get over how amazing it was that she could breathe underwater.

Elsa dove under and held her hand. "Follow me, but...close your eyes when we get there. I have something to show you."

"If you say so," Anna replied. "You lead, I'll follow."

As they approached the reef, Anna's eyes widened in awe. The reef was enormous, with all sorts of plants growing on it. There were starfish clinging to the rocks, and the occasional hermit crab could be seen scuttling along. There were fish as well, but they all darted away as Anna and Elsa got closer.

"This is a very special place for us merpeople," Elsa informed her. "Legend has it that Poseidon himself created the first mermaid here. My father called it The Joining Reef."

"It's very beautiful," Anna commented. "and feels so...pure. Like pollution hasn't tainted it, and this is just how nature meant this place to be."

Elsa nodded. "You know...this place holds an even more special meaning to me. This is where my parents first met."

"Mine met on a train," Anna replied. "Not so glamorous."

"What's a 'trayne'?" Elsa inquired.

"I'll tell you later," Anna promised. She had begun to enjoy teaching Elsa about the world beyond the waters she called home.

Elsa smiled. "Anyway, close your eyes. I have a surprise for you."

Anna nodded, floating to the centre of the reef and shutting her eyes. "Alright, Elsie. Whenever you're ready."

After a few seconds, Elsa said, "You can look now."

Anna opened her eyes to see Elsa holding out a beautiful pink flower to her. "Anna Baker," she said, "I love you. I've loved you for as long as I can remember. You're more precious to me than the most valuable treasure in the sea, and...and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Anna's eyes widened. "E-Elsa?!" she exclaimed, hiding her face as it went bright red. Elsa... loved her.

"This flower is the same kind that my father gave to my mother," the mermaid went on. "I thought it'd be fitting if I gave one to you too."

"B-but...this is...I don't...Elsa..." Anna tried to find the words.

Elsa looked saddened. "Anna, what's wrong?"

"Elsa…." Anna sighed. "I…I'm sorry. This is just too sudden for me."

"What are you talking about?" Elsa asked, confused. "Don't you love me?"

"I...I don't know," Anna said.

"But you said…." Elsa started to tear up. "You said you would be there for me. You promised me that we'd be together forever. You said you loved me the other day, and you let me hold your hand when we went out last night."

Anna sighed, turning and swimming away. "I'm sorry."

"Anna..." Elsa reached out with her hand. "Please don't go."

Anna stopped. "I need some time alone, Elsa," she said. "I...I need to think."

Elsa let go of the flower, watching Anna swim back to the surface. "I'm so sorry…."

xXx

Kristoff Bjorgman was sat up in his apartment at the end of another long day, the day having been particularly difficult due to him having to deal with a rather rowdy Australian couple. He sighed, lying down on the couch. "God, what a day," he muttered.

Suddenly, the door to his apartment burst open and Anna strode inside, a rather upset look on her face.

"Anna?" Kristoff asked. "What are you doing here?"

She sat down next to him, her head in her hands. "She loves me, Kristoff," she murmured. "Elsa loves me."

Kristoff smiled. "Well, that's good news. You were pretty worried about that earlier."

"No...I just…." She sighed. "I screwed it up, Kristoff."

"What do you mean?" Kristoff's expression fell. "What exactly happened?"

Anna sighed. "We went swimming together," she said. "She took me out to this coral reef. Then she held out this flower to me...and basically asked me to be her girlfriend."

"That's...really cute, actually," Kristoff admitted.

"It was sweet...so goddamn romantic...and I just freaked out like a complete dork."

Kristoff put his arm around her. "Then just go back and explain it to her. Just tell her that your nerves got the best of you."

"I CAN'T!" Anna argued. "I just can't face her...I probably broke her heart."

He sighed. "It's okay, Anna."

Anna buried her face in his chest. "No, it's not...I ruined everything..."

Kristoff embraced her, holding her. "Hey, hey, it'll work out."

"No, it won't," Anna denied. "God, I was such an idiot. I should have just told her how I felt when I first got here. The signs were so damn obvious."

"Wait what?" Kristoff wondered.

"The way she talked to me...the way she looked at me...and I didn't notice. I'm so fucking stupid!"

Kristoff sighed. "I wish I could help you, Anna. But this is one mess even my love guru skills can't fix."

"Then what am I still doing here?!" Anna growled, getting off the couch. "I'm stupid."

"No, you're just confused," Kristoff corrected.

Anna sighed. "I should just go back home. I can't face her after that."

Just then, there was a polite knock on the door.

"Who the hell...?" Kristoff muttered, getting up from the couch.

"Did you order a pizza or something?" Anna theorised.

"Nope," Kristoff replied. He went up to the door and opened it.

Standing at the door was Elsa, wearing some clothes she had borrowed from Anna again. She looked sad, like she had been crying. "Hi," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "Is…is Anna here?"

Kristoff nodded. "Yeah, come in." He moved aside, allowing Elsa to enter.

Elsa then noticed Anna, walking over to the couch and sitting beside her. "Hey, Anna."

Anna looked away, not wanting Elsa to see her this upset.

Elsa sighed. "Anna...I'm not mad at you."

"I'll uh, give you girls some time to yourselves," he stated before leaving the apartment.

Anna still looked away from Elsa. "You should be," she muttered.

Elsa tried to put her hand on Anna's shoulder, but Anna pushed it away. "Stop... please."

"Anna... it's okay."

"No, it's not!" Anna snapped. "I thought I had all this stuff figured out about you and then you go and practically propose to me!"

The mermaid looked down. "Because I thought you wanted me to," she said. "I thought...you felt the same way about me."

"I do," Anna said. "Elsa, I do love you...but I didn't know how much I loved you."

"But I don't understand. You were kind and caring to me, and displayed affection for me. Among my kind, it's an obvious sign of love."

"We humans are a bit different than mermaids in that sense," Anna remarked.

Elsa reached out towards Anna, but stopped. "Anna...if you don't want to be with me, I understand."

"I don't know what I want."

Elsa sighed, standing up. "I understand," she repeated. "I'll...leave you alone, then."

"No..." Anna said. "Don't go. I've already hurt you enough."

Elsa looked at Anna, tears in her eyes. "I went to the surface every night after I lost my parents," she said, her voice trembling. "I went to our secret spot, hoping against hope that when I got there...you'd be waiting for me. You could never hurt me, Anna. You were the only thing that made my loss hurt a little bit less."

"But I forgot about you...Elsa, I never had that connection you had with me," Anna told her. "I'm sorry, but I don't love you as much as you think I do.. but then...I have started to fall for you." She groaned. "You see what my problem is? I'm all confused about my feelings."

Elsa sat back down. "Just answer me one question, Anna," she said, looking into her eyes. "Do you want to be with me? Like, at all?"

"To put it simply..." Anna took a deep breath. "Yes, Elsa. I want to be with you."

Elsa smiled, gently taking Anna's hand. "Then I don't care if you love me. Even if we're only friends...as long as I'm with you, I'm happy."

Anna held Elsa's hand. "No, Elsa...I realise now." She smiled. "Elsa, I love you."

Elsa blushed. "You...you mean it?"

"I'm not sure, but right now, in my heart…" She gulped, a few tears coming out. "Yes, I do."

Elsa leaned in, kissing Anna's cheek. "Thank you, Anna."

Anna blushed at Elsa's touch. "Tell me that wasn't your mind wipe kiss."

Elsa smiled. "Don't worry, I'm in control of my magic. And besides, even if I wanted to wipe your memory, I wouldn't."

Anna then touched foreheads with Elsa. "Elsa, to answer your question from before...yes, I'll gladly spend the rest of my life with you."

Elsa took off her shell necklace, handing it to Anna. "Then...I want you to have this," she said. "It's customary for merpeople to exchange gifts when they profess their love for one another."

Anna giggled. "Is this us getting married?"

"No, no, don't worry," Elsa said.

"Good, because I wanna get to know you a bit more before then," Anna replied. She then held Elsa's hand, gazing into the mermaid's eyes.

Kristoff poked his head in through the front door. "Am I interrupting something?"

Anna and Elsa both blushed and pulled their hands behind their backs. "No, no, nothing," Elsa excused.

"Yeah, we were just...making up and such," Anna added. "In a totally platonic way."

Kristoff smirked. "You never were a good liar, Anna."

Anna sighed. "Kristoff...Elsa and I are in love."

Kristoff smiled. "Well, may I be the first to wish you two congratulations."

Elsa gave Anna a hug. "This is the happiest I've been in a long time."

Anna smiled. "Come on, Elsa." She then picked the mermaid up in her arms. "Let me take you home."

xXx

 **Author's note:** Happy Happy (Gay) Times!


	9. Chapter 8 - Take Me Out

Chapter 8 - Take Me Out

The next evening, Anna walked down to the secret spot on the beach, a smile on her face. She had gotten a pair of earrings for Elsa as a gift, and she wanted to surprise her with them. She dove into the water, earrings in hand, and started looking for her now-girlfriend.

"Elsie, where are you?" she cooed, calling to Elsa as if she were her pet.

She soon rose to the surface to catch her breath. "Where could she be?" she muttered to herself.

Just then, she felt something grab her foot and pull her underwater. She opened her mouth to cry out, but quickly closed it once she was under. She looked around to see what had grabbed her, and saw Elsa floating beside her, giggling. "Scared you, didn't I?" the mermaid teased.

"Elsa!" Anna cried, playfully. "You big stinker."

Elsa laughed. "I wanted to surprise you, sweetie." She then gave Anna a kiss on the cheek.

"Funny," Anna said, going back up for air. "I wanted to surprise you too." She handed Elsa the earrings, which were shaped like starfish. "You said that merpeople exchange gifts, so...I got these for you."

Elsa's eyes widened as she saw the earrings. "Wow... these are beautiful." She clipped them to her ears. "And they feel so light on my ears." She gazed at Anna with love. "Thank you, Anna."

"You're welcome," Anna replied. "By the way, I was wondering if you wanted to come back to my condo for dinner."

"Are you... asking me out?"

"Well, I guess so..." Anna admitted. "Consider this our first true date."

Elsa giggled. "I'll have to wear something nice for it then."

"No, you don't have to," Anna said. "We're just going to my place; you don't have to dress up."

"No, you said it yourself. This is our true first date," Elsa stated. "I'd hate to just show up in my sarong."

Anna smiled. "Alright, Elsa. I'll see you tonight then." She headed out of the water, blowing the mermaid a kiss.

Elsa caught the kiss with her hand, smiling. "I love you!" she called to Anna.

"I love you too," Anna called back.

Anna blushed softly as she walked into her condo, sighing dreamily. She was a teenage girl in love and she knew it. She smiled, touching the shell on the necklace Elsa had given her. "Tonight's gonna be perfect," she said to herself. "I just know it."

xXx

A few hours later, Elsa rose up from the water, striding onto the beach. As she did so, a golden glow from the water wrapped around her body, creating a sparkly blue dress for her to wear.

Anna stood outside her condo to await Elsa, her mouth opening in awe as she witnessed this. "Holy shit..."

"I did say I wanted to dress up for you," the mermaid replied, smiling at her.

"I know, but this..." Anna's voice trailed off. For the first time in her life, she was utterly speechless.

Elsa took her hands. "So, I believe the human custom is for you let your lover inside?"

"Oh, oh, right," Anna nodded quickly, opening the door for Elsa.

Elsa walked inside, sitting down on the couch. "So, what's the plan for dinner?"

Anna cleared her throat. "Well, madame of the sea," she replied in the best French accent she could manage, "I intend to cook you something from _my_ culture."

Elsa giggled. "What kind of voice was that?"

"A poor attempt at French," Anna explained.

"French?" Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"Another part of the world," Anna told her. "It's a very romantic place. Gosh, you'd love it, Elsa. It's so pretty at night, and I hear the waters are crystal clear."

"They can't be more beautiful than the waters here," Elsa said. "And certainly not as beautiful as you."

The human girl blushed. "Oh, you."

Elsa felt her dress. "I can't believe this turned out so well. I've never turned water into clothing before."

"I didn't know you _could_ turn water into clothing," Anna remarked.

"I remember my mother showing me how to do it when I was young." She smiled. "You know, Moana once told me she thinks I have a..." She paused, trying to think of the right word. "A...photographic memory, I think."

"Punzie has that too," Anna added.

"Oh, yes, I remember Cass saying something about that." Elsa giggled.

"I love your laugh," Anna then admitted. "God, I love everything about you, Elsa."

Elsa blushed. "And I love everything about you, Anna."

Anna smiled, turning on the stove. "What are you making?" Elsa inquired.

"A delicacy from my homeland of Georgia," Anna replied. "Fried chicken!"

"Oooh, sounds delicious!" Elsa responded, licking her lips.

Anna put the raw chicken breast into the skillet, checking the recipe she had pulled up on her phone. "Okay, let's see," she mumbled. "Up next, we toss some flour on this mother."

"Anna!" Elsa exclaimed. "Please don't cook that creature. I don't want its babies to be without a mother."

Anna chuckled. "It's a figure of speech, Els. Don't get your fins in a knot."

Elsa sighed. "I'm sorry," she apologised in a small voice. "I care a lot about other creatures."

"I know. I do too." Anna smiled. "But there's one creature I care about more than any other."

Elsa blushed. "You've gotten very good at flirting with me since we got together."

"I do my best." Anna looked at her phone. "Okay, flour's on there. Now for...one egg." She picked up an egg that she'd laid on the countertop, cracking it and putting it in the skillet with the chicken. She hoped that her high school cooking class had left a good impression on her, because she was desperate not to screw things up for Elsa.

"Is it going well over there?" Elsa asked.

"Oh it's going perfectly fine," Anna replied. "Just gotta roll up the breadcrumbs."

"Breadcrumbs?"

"Yeah, you gotta roll up chicken in the breadcrumbs," Anna told her. "and then that gets mixed in with the egg and poof, instant fried chicken."

Elsa shrugged. "I'll take your word for it."

After Anna had prepared the piece of chicken to be cooked, she then laid them out on a tray and placed them into the oven. "There, now give that a few minutes and hey, hey, it's eating time."

"All right," Elsa said, smiling. "Thanks for cooking for us."

"You did it for me, sweetie, now I'll do it for you." Anna then booped Elsa on the nose.

The mermaid giggled. "My mother used to do that to me."

"So did mine," Anna remarked. "Small world, huh?"

"I'm surprised we're not long-lost sisters," Elsa laughed. "We're so similar."

Anna giggled. "You know, there's something I haven't shown you that you need to see."

"What's that?" Elsa inquired.

Anna went up to her bedroom, returning with her laptop. "The internet!"

"The what?" Elsa's eyebrow raised up. "Is that for catching some sort of fish?"

"No, no, not that kind of net," Anna explained. "Here, let me show you."

She opened up YouTube, and Elsa's eyes widened. "Whoa, who's that?" she asked, pointing to a thumbnail of a video.

Anna giggled. "That's Mario. He's a famous video game character. But I think what you'll really want to see...is this." She clicked on a thumbnail, and a compilation of famous cat videos started playing.

Elsa's squealed in delight. "These are adorable! Can you have these creatures as pets?"

"Yeah, they're called cats," Anna replied. "My uncle had one that used to curl up on my lap all the time."

"Cats? That's funny. I saw a catfish once. It didn't look anything like this."

Anna giggled. "I better go see how the chicken is doing."

Anna looked inside the oven, and her eyes widened in panic. The chicken was burned beyond recognition. "What the fuck?!" she muttered. She looked at the oven display. "I set the temperature wrong! Oh, fuck oh shit oh fuck fuck fuck FUCKING FUCK FUCK!" She threw on her oven mitts, opened the oven, and grabbed the chicken, tossing it onto the stovetop.

Elsa looked away from the laptop screen. "Is everything okay, Anna?"

"Um...yeah, everything's cool!" Anna replied. "N-no worries, Elsa!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's all good! Just, uh, keep watching the cat videos." She then looked at the burnt chicken lying before her. "God fucking _dammit,"_ she whispered to herself.

Elsa continued to watch the cat videos, laughing at the one she was currently watching. "Hahah! That cat wouldn't let go of the bread."

Anna looked over at Elsa, then back at the chicken. This was the _worst_ possible way that this dinner could have gone. "What am I gonna do?" she whispered to herself.

She then stared at her phone on the table. "Well, what Elsa doesn't know won't hurt her." She picked up her phone and a brochure for nearby restaurants, then snuck into the bathroom.

Elsa noticed Anna darting into the bathroom. "Anna?" She got up and walked to the door. "Anna, is something the matter?"

"Nooo, no, it's okay...just gotta do...a thing. I'll be back out in a sec!"

Once Anna was gone, Elsa returned to the couch. "I just hope she's okay," she said.

Inside the bathroom, Anna quickly dialed the number of the nearest fast food joint into her phone. She sighed. "Hey, is this Rocky's Chicken Shack? Can I place a takeout order?"

"Uhhh, sure," the voice in the receiver replied. "What would you like, Miss?"

"I just need enough chicken to feed myself and my girlfriend. Nothing spicy, please."

"Of course, Miss. That'll be $14.49. Would you like fries with that?"

"Yes, please. And can you put that good seasoning stuff on them?"

"Of course, Miss. We'll have it there in ten minutes."

"Thank you!" Anna chirped, before turning off the phone. "Now, if Elsa hasn't seen the burned remains of my cooking, this date is saved."

Anna opened the bathroom door, but before she could step out, she froze. Elsa was standing in the kitchen...looking directly at the charred remnants of Anna's attempt at cooking,

"Oh crapbaskets," Anna muttered.

Elsa turned and looked at Anna. "Anna...what happened to the food?"

"Well..." Anna whistled. "Mmm, nice smell out there."

Elsa put her hands on her hips and repeated, "Anna, what happened?"

Anna sighed. "I'm sorry Elsa. I screwed up the food. It exploded in the oven... but I'm fixing it. I've ordered what we humans call 'takeout'."

Elsa nodded. "I know what that is. Moana's shared some with me."

"So... do you forgive me?" Anna looked at Elsa with puppy eyes.

Elsa smiled. "Why should I? You haven't done anything bad."

Anna's eyes lit up. She then darted forward and embraced Elsa tightly, hugging the beautiful mer-girl in her sparkly water dress.

Elsa hugged back. "It's okay, Anna. Everyone makes mistakes."

xXx

"Mmmmm," Elsa sighed in delight as she dipped a fry in some ketchup and tasted it. "So delicious."

"I know, right?" Anna said, taking a bite of chicken. "Rocky's makes the best fried chicken."

Elsa smiled. "Thanks again for doing dinner tonight...even if you did have a little screwup."

"I'm just glad I got to spend time with you again," Anna replied, snuggling up beside Elsa.  
"Is that ketchup getting on your dress?"

"No, water clothes can't get dirty," Elsa replied. "It's one of the perks of dressing this way."

"Really? Note to self: see if I can get me some of those."

"I could make you some quite easily," Elsa told her. "It's just like me giving you gills, although you'd need to be in water for the clothes to fully form."

Anna smiled. "I can live with that."

Elsa then had an idea. "Why don't we go out to the beach and I'll make you one?"

Anna's eyes widened. "You'd really do that?"

Elsa nodded, helping Anna up. "Of course. Now come on."

They walked hand in hand to the beach. Anna stripped to her underwear, then stepped into the water. "God, that's cold."

"You didn't mind it the night we met," Elsa reminded her.

"Yeah, because I was scared you'd ran off," Anna replied. "I mean...you were a rather captivating woman."

"And I was just shocked to see you again after so long," Elsa remarked.

Anna stood up the water. "Alright, Elsa. Do your thing!"

"Careful," Elsa warned her. "This might tickle more than the gills." She knelt down in the water and placed her hands under the surface, a wave of golden magic travelling from them. The magic then split into strands of golden light, causing the water the sparkle and reach out of the water, wrapping around Anna's body and hugging her form tightly.

Anna's eyes widened as the light faded and her new dress was revealed: a sparkly gown like Elsa's, only hers had long sleeves. "It's... beautiful."

Elsa smiled. "Not half as much as the girl wearing it."

Anna blushed. "No, you're the beautiful girl here, Elsa."

Anna walked towards Elsa, placing her hands on the mermaid's hips.

Elsa gazed into Anna's eyes. "Anna...there's something I've been meaning to ask you about."

"And what might that be?" Anna inquired.

Elsa blushed. "When we were young, you told me how your parents would kiss each other on the lips. My question is...will you do that to me?"

"Y-you want me to kiss you?" Anna's eyes widened. "Well... I've never kissed anyone on the lips before."

"Neither have I," Elsa replied. "But there's a first time for everything, right?"

Anna nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." She closed her eyes. "Just... be gentle, please?"

"I will," Elsa promised. She leaned closer to Anna, her own eyes closing. Then, after what felt like an eternity, the mermaid's lips finally met the human's.

Fireworks went off inside of Anna's mind. She had never known that a kiss could feel like this. Elsa's lips were soft, moist, and slightly salty; it felt like she was being kissed by the ocean itself.

Anna held her hands around Elsa, not wanting Elsa's lips to pull away, not for as long as she was still drawing breath.

Elsa embraced Anna as well, holding her love close. She finally pulled away, gazing into Anna's eyes. "By Poseidon's beard..."

"That was..." Anna tried to find the words. "God, I don't know what that was."

"That was a kiss, Anna," Elsa told her. "And not just any kiss. It was your first kiss."

"And yours too," Anna reminded her.

Elsa looked into Anna's eyes and smiled. "Would you like another kiss?"

Anna nodded. "Yes, please. But before we do, there's something I want to say."

"And that is?"

She smiled. "I love you, Elsa. With all of my heart."

Elsa grabbed Anna by the shoulders. "I love you too, Anna." She pulled Anna close and gave her a passionate, loving kiss.

Anna smiled into the kiss. As far as she was concerned, time could stop right then and there. Rapunzel had been right about one thing: Anna had finally found her soulmate.

xXx

 **Author's note:** Well, I think that date went well, don't you all agree? Now, hopefully, things turn out well for them...

Also, Matty and Me don't know how fried chicken works, so if anyone bitches about it not being accurate in the comments, I'm sorry, but my writing partner and I don't know shit about fried chicken, aside from the fact you get it from KFC

See ya next time!


	10. Chapter 9 - Nothing Good Lasts Forever

Chapter 9 - Nothing Good Can Last Forever

The next day, Anna drove out to a café in town to meet Rapunzel. She had texted her friend earlier to arrange a lunch for themselves, so that Anna could tell her the good news. The town itself was not far from the resort, as it was a rather built up place, no doubt due to the increase in tourists and residents over the past few years.

Anna sat down at a table and ordered a cup of herbal tea. Coffee had never really been her thing; she just didn't enjoy the way it tasted.

As Anna sipped her healthy blend, Rapunzel soon arrived, skipping over to the table. "Sorry, if I'm late!"

Anna smiled as she saw her friend. "Oh, hey Punzie."

Rapunzel sat down across from Anna. "So, what's this news you wanted to share with me?"

Anna grinned. "Elsa and I are in love. We're officially a couple now."

Rapunzel's face beamed. "Oh my God! I knew it! You were so meant for each other!"

"I guess we were," Anna said. "In fact, last night...we had our first kiss."

"Awwww, this is too cuuute!" Rapunzel squealed in delight.

"Yeah. It was...it was magical."

"Was someone singing Kiss The Girl in the background?" Rapunzel teased.

Anna rolled her eyes. "No...although come to think of it, that would've been surprisingly appropriate."

"So... where is your Norwegian girlfriend right now?"

"Oh, probably doing some chores back at her place," Anna excused. In actuality, Elsa had gone to collect seashells on the other side of the island.

"All right," Rapunzel replied. "I'm just so happy for you, Anna!"

"Me too... I guess all that hinting you did about me and Elsa really paid off."

"No problem," Rapunzel agreed. "Man, I wish Cass was here to enjoy this."

"Where is she, anyway?" Anna wondered. "You two are practically inseparable."

"She said she was gonna go out to the cliffs on the other side of the island," Rapunzel answered. "I don't know what she was gonna do out there though; I wasn't really listening."

"You, not listening?" Anna asked, surprised.

"Well, when you're watching reruns of that Avatar cartoon on TV, you tend to not pay much attention to other stuff."

"Granted, a show as awesome as Avatar does deserve attention," Anna admitted. "I kinda used to have a crush on Katara when I was little."

"I liked Toph more," Rapunzel said. "I always thought it was super cool that she was so strong, even though she was blind."

"Toph was a favourite of mine too," Anna remarked. "By the way, you want anything to drink?"

"Yeah, sure. A nice cup of hot chocolate."

"Coming right up!" Anna acknowledged.

xXx

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of Motunui Island, Cass was scaling her way down the cliffs. This was her comfort zone, among other things. Growing up with a family that put hard pressure on her often meant she needed to do rather extreme things to de-stress herself, and such things often involved the outdoors and doing things most people would be suicidal to try, like scaling a windy, ocean cliff.

But it wasn't just the thrill of the climb that made Cass happy. It was the thought of the beach that was waiting below, which she had a feeling had never been used by anyone before.

As she leapt down a few rocks, she spied a small birds nest and took a picture with her phone. "Well, now I know where seagulls live," she remarked.

Unbeknownst to Cass, Elsa was swimming around in the ocean, gathering new seashells for her collection. She had been busy with Anna the past few days, so she was happy to get back to her scavenging duties.

She brought up her shells, which she had stored in an old fish net that she'd found, and laid them out on the beach. She started to examine them closely, to see if she had collected any similar shells before. "Hmm, don't think I've got that one yet," she mused, picking up a small white shell and laying it to one side.

Cass, meanwhile, had landed on the beach. "Phew," she said to herself. "It's nice to have solid ground under my feet again." As she took the scenery around, she then noticed Elsa on the other side of the beach behind some rocks, examining her shells. "Huh? How did she get here?" she wondered. There was no other way of getting to this beach without scaling the cliff she had just climbed down, so how on Earth had Elsa gotten there?

As she examined Elsa's figure, she caught sight of what looked like scales shimmering in the sunlight. "Wait-what the hell...?" She rubbed her eyes for a second, then looked again: scales. On a fish tail. Which was attached to Elsa.

She scurried over behind a rock. She needed to get a closer look, but she didn't want Anna's friend seeing her.

Elsa smiled as she picked up a seashell. "Oh, you're a perfect one to give to Anna," she said. "I'll be keeping you."

Hearing footsteps on the sand, Elsa looked up quickly. "Huh?" She looked around, but there was nobody there. After a few seconds, she shrugged. "I'm just jumping at shadows," she remarked. "I need to quit being such a guppy." She giggled. "Oh, Mom, you and your silly phrases." She then went back to examining her shells.

Cass looked out from her hiding place, eyes wide in disbelief. _They're real,_ she thought. _Mermaids are real._

Elsa tucked her shells into her net. "I'll show you all off to Anna," she stated before diving back under the water.

Once Elsa was gone, Cass stood up, taking out her cell phone and calling Rapunzel. "Come on, Raps," she hissed. "Pick up."

After a few rings, she heard Rapunzel's voice say, "Hey, Cass! What's up?"

"They're real, Raps," Cass said. "Mermaids exist."

"Wait, what?" Rapunzel sounded confused. "Cass, did you hit your head or something?"

"I saw one," Cass insisted. "I'm not joking. I saw a mermaid. And you're never gonna believe who it was."

"Let me guess," Rapunzel sarcastically replied. "It was Ariel, and she was with Flounder and Sebastian."

"Very funny. But seriously, Raps." Cass took a deep breath. "Elsa is a mermaid."

"You drank the seawater, didn't you?"

"I'm serious, Rapunzel!" Cass insisted. "Anna's little girlfriend is a fucking mermaid! She was just here, with a net full of shells. She said she was gonna give them to Anna."

"Assuming you're not crazy, what do we do?"

"I don't know," Cass sighed. "But we need to warn Anna. She might be in trouble."

"Why? Mermaids are harmless, right?"

"Not according to the stories I've heard," Cass said. "Apparently they entrance people to be with them, and then they kill them."

"Cass, that's ridiculous. Elsa's a shy, blonde dork. She'd never hurt Anna or us."

"It's called a trap, Raps. And Anna fell for it like a world-class sucker."

"Cass, I love you, but you're kinda talking bullcrap here," Rapunzel argued.

"When have I ever lied to you, Rapunzel?" Cass asked.

"Never, but you can't just accuse Elsa of trying to murder the woman she's clearly in love with."

"You don't know what she's capable of."

"Well, neither do you!"

"Just listen to me, dammit! Elsa is dangerous! And if we don't confront Anna about it, she could be killed!"

Rapunzel sighed. "Alright, alright, we'll go. But you promise to act like a decent human being around her. We can't just go around insulting our friends because one of them is a mythical creature."

Cass groaned. "Fine, fine. And Rapunzel, whatever you do, DON'T tell anyone else. Regardless of whether or not Elsa's a threat, I don't want her being taken apart by some government creep. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it."

Cass hung up and put her phone down, sighing. "Please forgive us, Anna."

xXx

Over by her condo, Anna was sitting on the beach near the water, a glass of orange juice in hand as she watched the waves.

"Anna Baker, you've made one hell of a life for yourself," she told herself. "Lovely house, beautiful girlfriend, and a whole beach to yourself." She sighed. "Yep, this sure is the life."

She saw Elsa coming up out of the water, her fins turning into legs. She was carrying her scavenging net, which was full of shells. "Hi, Anna!" the mermaid called, waving to her.

"Elsa!" Anna called back, grinning at her beautiful girlfriend. "You look beautiful as ever."

"You look beautifuller," Elsa responded with a giggle as she sat by her. "I have some things to show you from my scavenging."

"I can see that," Anna said. "More shells for your collection?"

"Yep, and a special one indeed." Elsa held out a small shell that was the same colour as Anna's hair. "I found this, and it reminded me of you." She placed it in her hand. "I want you to have it."

Anna smiled. "Wow, it's so pretty! Thanks, Elsa!"

Elsa was about to lean in to kiss her girlfriend, when the two of them were suddenly interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" Anna wondered.

"Were you expecting anyone?" Elsa asked.

Anna shook her head. "No one except you."

She walked over and opened the front door, seeing that Cass and Rapunzel were standing outside. "Oh, Cass, Punzie, it's you!" she greeted them. "Come on in. Elsa just got back from her afternoon swim."

Cass and Rapunzel both walked in, Cass giving Elsa a very cold glare.

Elsa looked at Cass, confused. "Why are you looking at me like that, Cass? Have I done something wrong?"

Cass didn't respond, turning her attention to Anna. "Anna, we need to talk to you."

"What is it?" Anna asked.

Cass sighed. "I was out rock climbing at the cliffs today," she explained. "And when I got down to the beach...I saw her come out of the water."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Saw who?"

"Elsa." Cass cocked her thumb at Anna's girlfriend.

Elsa's eyes widened, and she shot Anna a horrified glance. Anna swallowed. "S-so?" she said, a bit nervous. "You saw her on the beach."

Cass frowned. "I know her little secret, so don't try and cover this up. It's too late for that."

"Cover what up?"

"That your girlfriend is a mermaid."

xXx

 **Author's note:** Sorry for the shorter than usual chapter, but in hindsight, it's probably quite fitting that it ends the way it does, with Cass calling Anna out like that. How will all this end? I know, but I'm not telling you lot am I? ;) That would be spoiling.

See ya next time!


	11. Chapter 10 - Parting Is Such Sorrow

Chapter 10 - Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

"A mermaid?!" Anna exclaimed, trying to downplay the situation. "Cass, what possible reason could you have for thinking Elsa's a mermaid?"

"I saw her, Anna," Cass insisted. "Stop playing dumb with me and just admit the truth."

"Elsa isn't a mermaid!" Anna snapped. "I mean, look at her! She's human!"

"She's right," Elsa put in. "I'm not a mermaid, Cassandra. I do go swimming around the island often, yes, but I don't have scales."

Cass glared at her. "Stay out of this, monster!"

Anna scowled. "Take that back! NOW!"

"Cass!" Rapunzel scolded her girlfriend. "You said you wouldn't go accusing Elsa!"

"You haven't heard the stories, Raps!" Cass snapped. "Mermaids lure humans in with their songs, then they kill them and eat them!"

"No," Elsa murmured. "You're wrong."

Cass looked at Elsa. "Oh, am I? And how would you know?"

Elsa sighed. "Fine," she said in defeat. "I admit it, Cass: I'm a mermaid. But I don't eat humans. The creatures who do that are called sirens."

"Elsa, what are you doing?" Anna asked in fright.

"I'm doing what's right," Elsa told her.

Cass looked confused. "Wait, wait, wait. So there's...two kinds of merpeople?"

Elsa nodded. "Essentially, yes. And the blood of both flows through my veins. I'm a hybrid: my father was a merman, and my mother was a siren." She sighed.

"So you _are_ one of the kinds that eat people," Cass assumed.

"I've learned to suppress that side of myself," Elsa answered. "I'm not a monster, Cass."

"How do we know you haven't bewitched Anna or something?!"

"Oh, now you're accusing me?!" Anna butted in. "Cass, Punzie, I thought we were friends."

"We are," Cass said. "That's why we came here. We're worried about you, Anna. We want you to be safe."

"Oh, sure, by calling my girlfriend a monster!" Anna sarcastically retorted.

"Just shut up, the pair of you!" Rapunzel scolded them both. "Anna, you're an adult, and Cass, you're older than all of us. Yet here you are, bickering like children!"

Anna sighed. "Just...Elsa's not a monster. She's beautiful and caring, and kind, and…I love her."

"I know that!" Rapunzel told her. "I'm on your side here, Anna!"

"You're the one who came here with her!" Anna argued.

"Stop it! All of you, STOP IT!" Elsa screamed, running out of the condo.

"Elsa!" Anna called to her.

But it was too late. Elsa dove into the ocean and swam away.

Anna scowled. "NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" she shouted at Cass and Rapunzel.

Cass looked down, a wave of guilt rolling over her. "Anna...I-"

"Shut up," Anna snapped. "And get the fuck out of my house."

Cass and Rapunzel walked outside and Anna stormed back in, slamming the door behind her.

Rapunzel looked at Cass with disappointment. "Well done, Cassandra. Well done."

"Raps..." Cassandra looked away. "I only wanted to protect her."

"Well you sure did a bang-up job at that," Rapunzel remarked sarcastically.

Cass sighed. "I...I didn't...mean to..."

Rapunzel groaned. "I don't know what I ever saw in you."

Cass started to reach for her, but stopped. "I don't know what you saw in me either." She handed Rapunzel the car keys. "Go home, Rapunzel. I've done enough damage to you."

Rapunzel sighed. "No, you haven't damaged me. You never did. But you have hurt our friends."

"I know," the brunette replied. "And I've never hated myself more than I do right now." She sat down on the ground.

"Well, I'm gonna go take care of Anna," Rapunzel said. "You stay out here."

Rapunzel walked back into Anna's condo, and saw her friend lying on the couch, sobbing. "Elsa...please come back..."

Rapunzel looked down and sat on the couch opposite her. "Hey."

Anna looked at Rapunzel, tears in her eyes. "What do you want?"

"I... I'm sorry for what happened, Anna," Rapunzel apologised. "It's my fault: I brought Cass here. I should've had us keep quiet about it, because I know how much Elsa meant to you."

"You were right," Anna said. "I found my soulmate on this trip. And it was Elsa."

"And I screwed it up," Rapunzel admitted.

Anna sighed. "I'm going back home. There's no point in staying here anymore."

"No...give it time, Anna. Elsa might come back," Rapunzel assured her. "You wanna come over to my place for a while?"

"No," Anna replied. "If she does come back...I wanna be here."

Rapunzel looked at her. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you and Elsa got together. You were made for one another. She will come back, Anna. All you have to do is believe."

Anna sighed. "But what if she doesn't? What if I never see her again...?"

"A girl like that never goes away," Rapunzel told her. "Did I ever tell you how Cass and I met?"

"You met online, right?" Anna assumed.

Rapunzel nodded. "Yeah, exactly. On Tinder, if you can believe that. I honestly thought it would just be a one-night stand, but when I actually met her face-to-face...something inside me just clicked, and I knew she was the one."

"What are you getting at?" Anna asked.

"If you truly love someone," Rapunzel told her, "if that person is your soulmate, then no matter what...you'll always be together."

Anna sighed, looking out at the ocean. "I guess I'm not surprised. I finally meet the girl of my dreams, and she's a fucking fish."

Rapunzel looked out of the window, seeing the sun start to set. "Hey, I better go get Cass home. I'll call you in the morning, okay?"

"Wait," Anna said, standing up. "I wanna talk to Cass."

"You sure?" Rapunzel asked.

Anna nodded and said, "Yeah." She walked outside, seeing Cass still sitting on the ground near the door. "Cass...?"

Cass looked up at her. "Oh," she said glumly. "It's you."

Anna sighed. "Cass...I'm sorry for getting angry."

"No," Cass replied, shaking her head. "I'm the one who should be sorry. If I hadn't started calling Elsa names...none of this would've happened."

"You were trying to protect me," Anna reminded her.

"And I drove away your girlfriend in the process."

Anna sighed. "That too."

Cass looked up at Anna. "I was never going to tell anyone else about her," she said. "I swear."

"I knew you weren't going to," Anna stated. "You were more concerned about me."

"And I screwed it all up." Cass sighed. "I guess what I'm trying to say is...can you forgive me?"

Anna looked at her friend and held her hand. "I can forgive you, Cass. You were only doing what you thought was best."

"Thank you," Cass replied, smiling. "So... where do you think Elsa went?"

"I haven't a clue," Anna admitted. "She could be anywhere by now."

Cass sighed, standing up. "If I see her again, I'll let you know."

"Thanks, Cass," Anna acknowledged.

Cass walked up to the front of the condo. "Raps! We're going!"

Rapunzel walked out of the condo, taking Cass's hand.

"Oh, and one more thing," Cass said to Anna. "If Elsa comes back...tell her I was wrong to say those things about her."

"I'll tell her," Anna replied. "I promise."

As Cass and Rapunzel walked away, Rapunzel smiled a bit. "Now I know what I saw in you."

"Come on," Cass told her. "Let's give this girl some time to herself."

Anna walked out onto the beach, sitting down at the secret spot. She looked out over the ocean, tears in her eyes. "Please, Elsa," she pleaded in a soft voice. "If you can hear me...please come home." She then curled up and started to cry once more, her broken heart filled with anguish and misery.

xXx

Down under the ocean, Elsa was swimming away from Motunui Island as fast as her fins could carry her. She didn't care where she was going. She just needed to be somewhere safe.

"I'm sorry, Anna," she said to herself. "I'm so sorry."

She eventually came to rest by a nearby coral reef, sitting on the sea bed to relax her fins.

She looked up at the sky through the water's surface, tears in her eyes. It was all her fault. Because of her, Anna had lost her friends. And now she had to run away, or else Anna would suffer the same fate as Elsa's parents.

She watched as the tears flowed from her eyes and out into the open water, sobbing heavily. "I'm sorry, Mama. I'm sorry, Papa. I'm sorry, Anna," she started to say over and over again, trying to cleanse herself of her sins.

"It's all my fault!" she sobbed. "I ruined everything."

Elsa then looked in her hands, seeing the shell she had wanted to give to Anna earlier. "No... I haven't ruined everything," she told herself. "But I can't go back to you, Anna. Not now, anyway."

She sighed. "I'll miss you, Anna. My sweet angelfish."

And with those parting words, she swam off into the blue unknown.

xXx

 **Author's note:** Again, sorry for the short chapter, but don't fret. The next two will be nice and long... and wrap up the whole fic in a nice little bow.  
See you then!


	12. Chapter 11- The Oncoming Storm

Chapter 11- The Oncoming Storm

The next morning, Anna awoke with a sense of hope in her heart, but as soon as she turned her head to one side, she then sighed deeply.

It hadn't been a bad dream. Elsa really was gone. For how long, Anna didn't know. All because of one petty argument between Anna and her friends, one that the mermaid believed she had caused.

Anna slowly pulled herself out of bed, looking out the window. The skies were full of dark clouds, as if nature itself was mirroring her own mood.

As she slumped downstairs, her hope returned. She half-expected her girlfriend to be there, cooking her some mermaid dish on the grill, wearing a happy smile like all was well.

But no. There was no Elsa, no mermaid food being cooked. She sighed and flopped down on the couch, turning on the TV. There wasn't much on the TVs here on the island, just a few variety channels that Anna didn't care for.

She gazed wistfully out the back window at the ocean, wondering where in that vast expanse of blue Elsa could be. Maybe she had gone back to her people? No, Anna knew Elsa wasn't that desperate. Wherever Elsa was, Anna just silently hoped she was safe and she would return soon.

Anna sighed. Some part of her-her inner romantic, perhaps-wanted to put a message in a bottle and send it out to the sea, in the hopes that maybe Elsa would find it. But she knew the odds of _anyone_ finding it were astronomical.

She stepped out onto the back porch, feeling a strong wind blow across the beach.

"Jeez, what's going on here?!" Anna exclaimed, clinging onto the wooden railing on the porch of her condo.

Just then, she heard a loud knock on her door. "Anna, you in there?" Kristoff's voice called.

Anna headed back through her condo and opened the door. "Kristoff?" Anna inquired, seeing her friend at the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Kristoff remarked.

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you been watching the Weather Channel?" he asked. "There's a big-ass storm heading straight for the island. Like, so big it's almost a low-class hurricane."

"Wait-what?!" Anna exclaimed. "Where is everybody?!"

"Up at the hotel. It was built to withstand big storms like this," Kristoff explained. "Moana wanted every guest in there pronto until the storm passes."

"You mean they aren't gonna evacuate the island?"

"It's too risky for that," Kristoff told her. "All flights and boats are halted. Unless you _want_ your boat to capsize or your plane getting struck by lightning."

Anna sighed. "I understand, but...I'm just worried about Elsa."

"Why? Where is she?"

"She left," Anna replied. "There's something about her that you need to know, Kristoff. But you have to swear to me that you'll never tell anyone else."

"What is it?"

Anna sighed. "Elsa isn't human. The truth is...she's a mermaid."

Kristoff's eyes widened. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, I'm serious," Anna insisted. "And she's out there, in that storm right now."

"What?! Why?!"

"Because someone else found out," Anna explained. "Another friend of mine. She confronted me about it, and Elsa got upset, and...she ran away."

"Well...there's not much we can do about that now," Kristoff told her. "But if any of the Coast Guards see her, I'll let you know okay?"

"No! Don't tell them about her!" she exclaimed. "If the government knows about her, they'll take her away and study her, and do awful things to her."

Kristoff sighed. "You know that only happens in movies, right?"

"Kristoff!" Anna scolded him.

"Fine, fine, I'll keep a lid on it."

"But you've gotta come with me to the hotel. This condo won't be able to protect you once that storm kicks up."

Anna nodded. "Okay. Just let me grab my things, and then we'll go."

"Be quick," Kristoff urged her.

xXx

Before long, Anna and Kristoff were running towards the main hotel building as quickly as possible, with Anna's suitcase and backpack in tow.

"Man! This stuff wasn't so heavy when I got here!" Anna complained, dragging her case and bag behind her.

"You weren't trying to escape a natural disaster then," Kristoff remarked.

When they got inside the hotel, Moana came running over. "Is that everyone, Kristoff?" she asked.

"I think so, but I'm pretty sure we're missing a few," Kristoff told her. "Those landslides on the other side of the island have gotten pretty bad."

"The other side of the island?" Anna's eyes widened. "Cass and Punzie."

"Who?" Moana inquired.

"My friends," Anna explained. "They're in trouble!"

"Speaking of friends, where's Elsa?" Moana asked.

"She ran away," Anna said. "She's out there in the ocean right now. I don't know where."

"What?!" Moana exclaimed.

"We'll worry about her later," Kristoff put in. "Anna, stay here. Moana, I need you to help me round up any stragglers and get them inside before the storm hits."

"No, I've gotta go help Cass and Punzie!" Anna insisted. "If they're out there, I don't want them getting hurt."

"Fine, go with Kristoff to the other side of the island," Moana instructed. "I'll keep holding the fort here."

"Right," Kristoff replied. "We'll bring them back here once we find them."

"Good luck and get back soon," Moana said. "I'd hate for you two to be caught up in that storm."

"Don't worry, Moana," Anna promised. "We'll be careful."

As they left and got into Kristoff's car, Anna asked, "How does this thing handle in weather like this?"

"Well, it's a big ass SUV; it's built to handle any terrain," Kristoff told her. "At least, that's what the commercial said."

"Yeah, but can it handle super-high winds?"

"Looks like we're gonna find out," Kristoff remarked, starting up the engine.

Anna buckled her seatbelt. "Just do me a favour and try not to kill us both."

Kristoff chuckled. "I'll try my best."

As they rode along, Anna took out her phone and sent a text to Rapunzel.

 **Anna: Punz, are you and Cass okay?!**

There wasn't a reply at all.

Anna's eyes widened. "Oh, God, no. Kristoff, hurry!"

There was suddenly a loud crash of thunder from outside and rain began to pour down over the road. "Not much I can do about that!" Kristoff told her. "The weather just picked up."

"Oh God, oh God, oh God," Anna muttered frantically. "First Elsa, now Cass and Rapunzel? Am I just doomed to lose everyone?!"

"Anna, calm down!" Kristoff shouted. "It's gonna be okay."

"NO IT ISN'T!" she snapped. "My girlfriend left me, two of my best friends are probably DEAD by now, and..." She started to cry. "I'm just so scared..."

Kristoff then stopped the car on the coast road and unclipped his seatbelt, wrapping his arms around Anna. "Shhhh, shhh, it's okay."

"I don't wanna die, Kristoff..." she sobbed. "I'm scared..."

"You won't die," Kristoff told her. "I won't let that happen, and I'm not gonna let your friends die either."

"Y-you promise...?"

"I promise," Kristoff said. He pulled out of the hug and clipped back in, starting up the car again.

Anna sighed, looking down at her phone. She pulled up Elsa's number and typed out a message to her.

 **Anna: If you're reading this, Elsa, I love you, and I miss you. Wherever you are, please be safe. ❤ ❤**

Anna looked out of the window at the now-drenched road. The road itself was starting to narrow as they travelled by the large rocky cliffs that dominated the far side of the island.

As they drove along, Kristoff suddenly hit the brakes. "Oh, shit." The road in front of them was blocked off by a landslide. "We'll have to walk from here. Do you know where their house is?"

"It should just be just up ahead," Anna informed him. "I think. I haven't come to their house this way before."

"Well, lucky for us, we should still have cell service. Can you check your GPS?"

Anna took out her phone and check the map app. "Oh! We're just around the corner!"

"Awesome." Kristoff took out a raincoat from the backseat of his car, handing it to Anna. "Put that on, and let's move."

Anna put on the coat and she and Kristoff headed out of the car, climbing over the rocks in their path.

"Boy, am I glad I didn't quit gym class," Anna remarked.

"Same," Kristoff replied, shouting to be heard over the driving rain.

They walked around the bend and found Cass's villa, currently being pelted by the torrent of rain.

"Okay, so the house is still in one piece," Anna said, relieved. "Let's go see if anyone's home."

They ran up to the front door, and Kristoff pounded on it with his fist. "Yo! Anyone in there?!"

The door then opened to reveal Rapunzel, her hair very wet. "Anna?" she asked.

"Punzie!" Anna exclaimed, hugging her friend. "Thank God, you're alright."

"We're fine," she said. "But why are you guys here?"

"We came to get you and Cass," Anna explained. "We heard about the landslides on this end of the island."

"There's a big-ass storm, in case you haven't noticed," Kristoff added.

"Cass told me to wait here," Rapunzel said. "Our power generator blew out, and the substation is a few miles away."

"Why are you staying here?!" Anna exclaimed.

"Our place was built to withstand the storm," Rapunzel informed her. "At least, that's what Cass said."

"Where is she now?" Anna asked.

"She could be trying to get the power back... but she's been gone a while."

"Shit," Kristoff muttered. "And we can't drive to the substation because of the landslide."

"Kristoff, you get Rapunzel back to the hotel," Anna instructed. "This house might be safe from the storm, but it's probably for the best she's safe with everyone else. I'll go and look for Cass."

"Alone?" Kristoff asked incredulously. "Anna, are you nuts?!"

"Someone's gotta go save her," Anna told him.

"Yeah, but you can't go by yourself!"

"Watch me," Anna replied, heading out into the storm.

"Anna!" Kristoff called out to her.

"Let her go," Rapunzel said to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I trust her to find my girlfriend."

He sighed. "Be safe, Feisty-pants," he murmured.

xXx

Anna trudged through the storm, trying to find her way to the power substation. The rain was getting worse, and the winds were beginning to pick up as well. She held her hand over her head to try and get a better view, but the wind and rain made the visibility awful.

Part of Anna wondered if she should even help Cass at all. After all, she was the reason Elsa left. But then the other part of her remembered that, Elsa or not, Cass was still her friend. She had to save her, if only for Rapunzel's sake.

She scowled, her heart filling with determination. "I'm coming, Cass."

Anna tried to scrape her legs up the steep slope, panting heavily. "Guugh! Come on Cass!" she called out to her. "Where the hell are you?!"

After another minute of climbing, she finally reached the top of the slope. As she looked around, she could just make out the large power substation a mile or so ahead of her.

"Cass!" Anna cried out for what seemed like the thousandth time. She could see most of this side of the island from up here, or at least a faint outline of it due to the rain and wind.

She started running down the other side of the slope, heading towards the substation as quickly as she could.

As she stumbled down the slope, she heard a soft audible groaning. She stopped in her tracks, looking around. "Hello?" she called out. "Cass, is that you?"

"Anna..." Cass's voice weakly moaned. "Down here…."

Anna ran towards the source of the voice. "I'm coming, Cass! Hold on!"

She soon found Cass lying on the side of the rocks, her leg twisted and blood on her lip. She had clearly tumbled over. "Oh, shit," she muttered. "Cass, are you okay?"

"I don't know," Cass told her. "I…I can't feel my leg."

"Fuck me," Anna swore. "Here, I'll help you up, and we'll find someplace to hunker down until this blows over, okay?"

"No..." Cass groaned. "Leave me…."

"And face Punzie's wrath? Not a chance," Anna told her. She helped Cass stand up, letting her rest her arm on her shoulder for support.

Cass tried to set her foot down, but immediately lifted it back up. "Ow, ow, ow!" she exclaimed. "I think I broke my leg."

"Just stay calm," Anna said. "We'll get through this, I promise."

"No!" Cass denied. "Just leave me here, I'll be fine."

"Not with a wound that bad," Anna told her. "Now come on, we gotta get you out of here." Anna started to hobble down the slope with Cass, hoping to find shelter, or a road back to civilization.

"Why do you even care?" Cass asked. "After what I did...you could've just left me there."

"Because you're my friend," Anna said. "And besides, I forgave you, remember?"

"I know. I just...I still feel guilty about it."

"I feel bad about it too," Anna pointed out. "But my dad told me to always forgive people, no matter what."

"Whatever," Cass argued. "Just…get us out of this storm."

"I'm working on it," Anna replied.

They continued on through the storm, Cass struggling to avoid putting weight on her broken leg. "Did you go to my house?" she asked Anna.

"Yeah," Anna confirmed. "When I heard about the landslides on this side of the island, my friend Kristoff and I came here looking for you and Rapunzel."

"And Raps...is she okay?"

Anna nodded. "Yeah. She and Kristoff are probably back at the hotel by now."

"The hotel? I told Raps to stay at home. She'll be safe there."

"Cass, your house is built on a cliff, and there are landslides going on left right and centre," Anna told her.

"When that house was built, I made sure to include a base of solid concrete so that no matter what, there was no risk of losing my house in a landslide," Cass replied. "I knew the risks when I signed up."

"Did you know there was gonna be a storm this bad?" Anna pointed out.

"Yeah. That house is built to withstand up to category-three hurricane winds."

"Well, I wouldn't take any chances," Anna said. "Besides, we can't exactly get your leg patched up at home."

Cass sighed in defeat. "Fine."

Just then, Anna's eyes lit up. "Cass, look!" She pointed up ahead. "There's a road!"

"Great!" Cass cried. "Now, we just gotta hope that somebody comes by."

"Or we can follow it, and it'll take us back into town," Anna replied. "We're not gonna get anything done just by sitting around."

"I can't walk that far on a broken leg, and I'm pretty sure you can't carry me."

"You'd be surprised," Anna remarked. "I'm hella strong."

"More like hella stupid!" Cass retorted.

"I WON'T LEAVE YOU BEHIND, GODDAMMIT!" Anna shouted. "This isn't about Rapunzel anymore. It's about the fact that I refuse to let my friend die!"

"Anna, there's no need to push yourself," Cass told her. "You've already done enough for Raps and me."

"I don't care," Anna said. "I'm not gonna stop until you're safe."

"You're so stubborn," Cass remarked. "I guess Elsa likes girls like that."

"I don't know. I never got the chance to ask."

Cass sighed. "How have you been holding up since last night?"

"Barely," Anna said. "I was so used to her being there, and it just...it felt terrible to wake up and not see her face."

"Well... here's hoping you and her get your happy ever after…." Cass then coughed. "If we live to see it."

Just then, they heard a car horn honk behind them. They turned around and saw Kristoff's SUV pull up next to them.

Kristoff rolled down his window and hollered, "Get in! Hurry!"

Anna opened the door to the backseat and helped Cass in, then climbed in herself. As they drove away, Anna asked, "What are you guys doing here? I thought you were going to the hotel."

"We were," Kristoff said. "Until _somebody_ made me turn around and start looking for you two." He shot a glance at Rapunzel, who was in the passenger seat.

"We couldn't just leave you!" Rapunzel excused.

"R-Raps..." Cass weakly said.

Rapunzel looked down at the woman she loved and stroked her hair. "Hey, hot-stuff." She looked down at Cass's broken leg. "Oh my God. Cassie, what happened to you?!"

"Fell down the slope," Cass answered. "Hit...hit a rock...broke my leg."

Anna looked at Cass with concern. "Cass, stay with us, okay?"

"I'm really...really tired," she said. "I'm just...gonna take a nap..." With that, Cass's eyes closed.

Rapunzel covered her mouth in horror. "Is...is she...?"

Anna checked her pulse. "No. I think she's just passed out from the pain."

"She needs a doctor!" Rapunzel exclaimed.

"Hang on girls, I'll get her back to the hotel. I'm pretty sure there's a first aid pack there," Kristoff explained, driving away.

"Didn't you hear me?" Rapunzel said, annoyed. "She has a broken leg! A first-aid pack isn't gonna be enough to fix that!"

"Calm down, Punzie," Anna put in. "I'm sure there's a doctor back at the hotel. Right, Kristoff?"

"Hope so," Kristoff said. "You girls sit tight back there. I gotta concentrate. It's not exactly easy to drive in the middle of a storm."

xXx

Finally, after what felt like hours, they arrived back at the hotel. Kristoff scooped Cass up in his arms and rushed inside, with Anna and Rapunzel close behind him. "Yo! This woman needs a doctor, ASAP!" he shouted.

The entire lobby was packed with people from all over the island, all being attended to by Moana. "Kristoff?" she asked.

"Moana, are there any doctors here?" Kristoff demanded. "This lady's hurt real bad."

"Shit," Moana swore. "I'll start looking. You clear a space for her. Make sure to keep that leg elevated."

Some of the civilians got to one side, as Kristoff lay Cass on the couch and Anna and Rapunzel got to her sides. "Hang on, Cass," Anna said softly.

Moana walked up to them, bringing with her a tan-skinned woman with long black hair. "I found a doctor," she said.

The woman nodded. "I'm Doctor Jasmine Raihani," she said. "I'll do my best to help your friend."

"Thank you," Anna said, gratefully.

The doctor knelt down beside Cass, examining her wound. "I'm gonna need to sterilize the wound. Can someone get me a first aid kit?" She asked. "And something to wrap her leg up in?"

"Already on it," Moana acknowledged.

Anna sighed. "She's gonna be okay."

Kristoff looked out of the window, seeing sunlight start to pour through the clouds. "Hey, look! The storm is clearing."

"Thank God," Anna remarked. She walked out of the hotel through the rear exit, heading back towards her condo. As she passed by the beach, however, she saw something-no, _someone_ lying unconscious in the sand. As she took a few steps closer, she noticed that where this person's legs should have been...there was a sky-blue fish tail.

Her eyes widened. "Elsa...?"

xXx

 **Author's note:** She's baaaaaaaack!


	13. Chapter 12 - I Found You Again

Chapter 12 - I Found You Again

Elsa opened her eyes as sunlight streamed in through a nearby window. She tried to sit up, but her whole body felt weak. The last thing she could remember was being out in the ocean, until a massive wave caught her. The next thing she knew, she was here…wherever "here" was.

"Where…am I?" she groaned. She turned her head to one side, seeing that she was in a large bedroom, currently lying on a king-size bed. The walls had a distinct peach and burgundy pattern to them; it almost looked like the sort of room in which a princess might sleep.

"What kind of place is this?" she wondered. She looked down at her waist, seeing her usual fish tail. "Oh no…someone must have seen me."

She closed her eyes and quickly changed her fins back into legs, then leapt up and ran for the door. As she tried to open it, it suddenly opened itself, smacking her in the nose.

"Oooh!" Elsa grunted in pain, rubbing her face.

Anna's face then poked out from behind the door, and she beamed. "Elsa!" She cried in joy, running over to hug her. "You're awake."

"Yeah…with a broken nose," Elsa remarked. "Where am I?"

"You're in one of the guest suites at the hotel," Anna informed her. "Do you…remember anything?"

Elsa shook her head. "Not really. Last thing I could remember, I was in the water…and then waking up here."

Anna sighed. "Looks like I gotta fill you in on the details." She then sat Elsa down on the bed. "Okay, so there was this big storm on the island. Massive, things got trashed really bad."

"Oh, Poseidon…" Elsa gasped. "I remember now. I was out at sea. I had just come to rest on this atoll when… I saw these dark clouds over the island. I panicked and swam back to you."

Anna thought. "You must have been caught in a current or something," she assumed. "Because we found you on the beach, unconscious."

"Yes, I do remember being caught in a big wave," Elsa replied. "I was worried sick about you, and didn't think of the danger…oh, I'm such a fool."

"No you're not," Anna told her.

"How did I get here?" Elsa asked. "Why aren't we in your condo?"

"My condo got trashed in the storm."

"Oh…. Was there anything in there?"

"No, I got all my stuff out, including the shells you had there," Anna informed her.

"Oh! Thank you!"

Anna put her hand on Elsa's shoulder. "I'm glad you came back…. I got worried about you too."

Elsa looked down. "I'm so sorry, Anna," she told her. "I did want to come back, but after the fight you and Cass had over me…I felt like such a burden."

"You weren't," Anna told her. "And Cass and I…well, we kinda managed to patch things up, as it were."

"So… she doesn't think I'm a monster?"

Anna shook her head. "No, no one thinks you're a monster. Cass took back everything she said about you."

"Good, but…did anyone see me? On the beach?"

"Thankfully, no," Anna replied. "Everyone was so busy focusing on the storm and cleaning up, they didn't even glance at you."

She sighed in relief. "Oh, thank Poseidon."

Anna held her hand. "I know this is a bit silly to ask- well, actually it's probably pointless right now, but…do you still love me, Elsa?"

Elsa leaned close, kissing Anna on the lips. "Of course I love you."

Anna smiled and kissed back. "Good. Just making sure."

xXx

Down in the hotel's lobby, Cass was still lying on the couch Anna and Rapunzel had brought her to. Her leg was in a cast, and she had several band-aids on her face. She looked pretty beaten up, but was still kicking on.

Rapunzel walked over to her, a glass of water in hand. "You want something to drink?"

"Sure," Cass replied, taking the glass and sipping it up. "I can't believe I was stupid enough to go out on my own during that storm."

"You didn't know it would get that bad," Rapunzel reminded her. "Plus, Anna came and saved your bacon."

"My leg still got busted up," Cass said.

"We've all had broken bones in our lifetime," Rapunzel stated. "I broke my leg when I was eight, and I can still feel the pain to this day."

Cass sighed. "Where is Anna, by the way? You said she found Elsa."

Rapunzel nodded. "She just went to go check on her."

"I hope she wakes up soon," Cass admitted. "I really need to apologise to her for… you know."

Rapunzel gave her a kiss on the cheek. "That would be a good thing to do."

As if on cue, Anna and Elsa walked over to them, the latter having changed into her sarong. "Punzie," Anna greeted her.

Rapunzel turned her head, grinning as she saw Elsa was awake. "Elsa! You're back!"

"Hello, Rapunzel," Elsa replied. She then looked at Cass with an impassive stare. "Cassandra."

"Hey," Cass spoke softly. She then sat herself up as best as she could. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine," Elsa responded, folding her arms. "How's the leg?"

"The doc says it's gonna need about a week to heal," Cass informed her. "But that doesn't matter right now. What matters is…I'm sorry, Elsa. For all the things I said, and all the things I… accused you of. It was wrong of me to believe that, as a woman of logic. I hope you can forgive me like Anna did."

"I do forgive you, Cass," Elsa told her, sitting beside her. "If Anna can forgive you, then so can I. She's a very good judge of character."

Cass chuckled. "So Raps and I have noticed."

Elsa smiled. "So…I guess you two will be heading back to your home soon."

"Not for a while," Cass remarked. "They need to clear the landslides away from the roads by our place first."

"Yeah, a lot of the roads got hit in the storm," Rapunzel added. "Power lines, landslides, trees getting blown over. The whole island is one big mess."

"And until that's cleared up, everyone's been given free rooms at the hotel," Cass finished.

"So that's how Anna was able to get me to that guest room," Elsa assumed.

"Well, I had to pull a few strings with Moana," Anna excused, blushing sheepishly.

"Where is Moana?" Elsa inquired. "She didn't get hurt in the storm, did she?"

"No, no," Anna told her. "She went over to the hospital a while ago with the doctor who saw to Cass."

Elsa breathed a sigh of relief. "Poseidon must have been watching over this place."

"Well, none of us would've made it here safely if it weren't for Anna," Rapunzel stated.

"Very true," Cass agreed. "I owe your girlfriend my life, Elsa."

Elsa kissed Anna's cheek. "So do I."

xXx

Later that evening, Anna took Elsa down to the hotel's restaurant for a nice evening meal. Anna was wearing a green dress that Cass had lent her, while Elsa was wearing one of her sparkly water dresses.

Elsa smiled. "I've never eaten in this place before. What kind of food do they have?"

"Seafood," Anna replied. "So I guess it will be just like eating normal food for you."

"Oh, wonderful!" Elsa said cheerily. She picked up her fork. "You know, when I was little, I used to use one of these to straighten my hair."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "You used a fork to straighten your hair?"

"It drifted under the water one day," Elsa explained. "I didn't know what it really was till Moana told me."

Anna giggled. "That's just too perfect. Did you ever get confused about other human objects?"

"Well, I once thought a wardrobe was some sort of pet cage," Elsa replied. "I used to keep a little baby manta ray in it, until he grew too big."

Anna laughed. "That's actually really cute."

Soon their food arrived, a large platter of cooked fish. "Dig in," Anna said, licking her lips.

Elsa took a bite, smiling. "Mmm, this is delicious!"

"Better than how your kind would normally cook it?"

"Nothing is better than traditional mermaid cooking," Elsa stated.

"You sure?" Anna asked teasingly. "You seemed to like that fried chicken plenty."

"Well...okay, _some_ human cooking is better than mermaid cooking," Elsa corrected herself.

Anna smirked. "That's what I thought."

Elsa held Anna's hand. "You've been so kind to me, Anna. Even when you were a child."

"That's just how I am," she replied. "I try to treat others the way I want them to treat me."

"And for that, I'm very grateful," Elsa replied. "Um, Anna, there's something I want to do with you…will you touch noses with me?"

Anna sniggered. "Touch noses?"

"Well, I don't know what it's called, but I've seen Cass and Rapunzel do it."

"Hold on." Anna held up her index fingers. "Let's say these are our noses." She then rubbed her fingertips back and forth against each other. "Is that what you mean?"

Elsa nodded. "Yes, that's what they did."

"That's called an Eskimo kiss, Elsa," Anna explained. "My mom used to give me those when I was little."

"Can you... give me one?" Elsa asked.

Anna leaned across the table, rubbing her nose against Elsa's.

Elsa giggled and rubbed her nose back, before pushing her lips forward and kissing Anna on the lips.

Anna smiled. "I love you, Elsa."

"I love you too, Anna," Elsa replied, gazing into her eyes.

xXx

Later that evening, in Elsa's hotel room, Elsa was lying in the bathtub, having just found out how to use it, and was relaxing in her natural mermaid form. As she rested her fins, she heard the door to her room open, and noticed Anna walking in. "Anna?" the mermaid asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, haven't you heard?" The strawberry blonde replied. "We're roommates now."

Elsa smiled. "That's fine with me."

"You sure?" Anna said, plopping her suitcase by Elsa's bed. "I mean, the room next door is empty, if you really want to be alone."

"Why would I want to be apart from you, Anna?" Elsa asked her.

Anna narrowed her eyes and smirked. "You're cute, you know that?"

Elsa giggled. "Would you like to get in my bath? It's a bit cramped, but I'm sure you'll fit."

"I, um..." Anna blushed. "I don't know. I mean, I've never been, er...not wearing clothes around someone else."

Elsa smiled. "Don't be shy, Anna. There's nobody here except us."

Anna sighed. "Fine, fine, I'll do it. Since it's you." She then stripped off her clothes, revealing her naked form to Elsa. She then slinked over to the bathtub and got in, curling up next to Elsa. "You were right, it's a bit cramped."

"Would you like me to turn my fin into legs?" Elsa offered.

"Nah, it's okay," Anna accepted.

Elsa smiled. "You humans are very beautiful without your clothes," she complimented.

Anna blushed again. "T-thank you."

Anna then curled up beside Elsa and the two cuddled in the water. "By the way, Elsa, I've been thinking."

"What about?"

"Well…how would you like to go and see the world with me?"

"What do you mean?" Elsa inquired, slightly confused.

"Let me put it to you like this," Anna said. "I can take you away from this island. I can show you places unlike anything you've ever seen. Would you like that?"

Elsa's eyes widened. "You would do that?"

Anna nodded. "I would."

"But... how would you afford it?" Elsa then asked.

"Well, you know that giant stash of old coins in your grotto?"

"Oh yes, those!" Elsa remembered. "But Anna, you said humans don't use money like that anymore."

"You're right, we don't. But we have these places called 'museums'; they're full of old stuff like your coins. They'd probably pay top dollar for them."

"Oooooh!" Elsa then realised. "How much?"

"Enough for us to live out the rest of our lives in peace and happiness," Anna replied, holding Elsa's hand. "Together."

Elsa smiled. "I'd like that," she said. "I'd like that a lot."

"So...does my mermaid want kisses?" Anna asked teasingly.

Elsa stroked Anna's cheek lovingly. "She does."

Anna then wrapped her arms around Elsa and kissed the mermaid passionately, holding her close as they embraced in the warm water.

xXx

A few days later, Cass's car pulled up outside of Motunui International Airport. She and Rapunzel had offered to drive Elsa and Anna to the terminal so that they could say goodbye to each other.

"Thanks for driving us, guys," Anna thanked her friends as they got out of the car.

"No problem," Cass replied, getting out as well. "Here, I'll get your bags for you."

Rapunzel then hugged Anna tightly. "I'm really gonna miss you Anna. You're like the twin sister I never had."

Anna giggled, hugging back. "Don't worry, Punzie, we'll come back. In fact, Elsa and I were knocking around the idea of getting a house here one day."

"We could be neighbours!"

"I know!"

Cass gave Anna a hug too. "You be safe out there. It's a big world out there. I should know, I've been around it at least twice."

Elsa hugged Cass, as well. "Don't worry, Cassandra. Anna and I will find our way."

Cass smiled. "So much for flipping your fins over here, huh?"

"I'll try and keep my…ahem, other side a secret."

"Good, because not everyone will be like Anna," Cass pointed out. "They might go crazy like me, so just…be aware. I'd hate for Anna to lose a perfect girl like you."

Elsa nodded. "I will."

"And if anyone lays a finger on her, they'll answer to me!" Anna interjected.

Cass smiled. "Atta girls."

Elsa hugged Rapunzel as well. "And speaking of that, I want to thank you both," she said. "For giving me a chance."

"You're welcome, Elsa," Rapunzel told her.

Cass giggled. "You two better get going. Your flight leaves in 30 minutes."

"Okay." Elsa held Anna's hand as they walked into the terminal. "Anna...I'm a little scared. I've never done this before."

Anna kissed her lover's cheek. "It'll be okay. I'm right here with you. And this time, I'm not leaving."

Elsa turned away and looked over at Cass and Rapunzel waving them goodbye. "I'll miss them."

"So will I," Anna agreed. "But I'm sure we'll see them again one day."

"So... where do we start our trip first?" Elsa wondered as the walked through the airport.

"My home city," Anna informed her. "I really want my parents to meet you."

"Did you ever tell them about me when you were little?"

"Yeah, but they just thought you were an imaginary friend. It'll be fun to see the looks on their faces when they find out you're real."

"And that we're dating," Elsa added.

"That too," Anna giggled.

Elsa and Anna stood by the window, watching as their plane taxied into the terminal. "So... ready to go?" Elsa then asked.

Anna smiled. "I was born ready, Elsa."

xXx

 **Author's note:** And so another one of my beautiful Elsanna fics ends with a happy ever after. Thank you all so much for reading and commenting and other such things. You're amazing. Of course, I'm not done with this AU. I'll probably make a few little one-shots set after the events of this story, and if you have an idea for a one-shot, don't be afraid to ask.

I just might do it ;)

See ya'll next time!


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